The National Assembly has proceeded on a long recess up to February 11, 2019 after unanimously approving the appointment of Major (Rtd) Twalib Mbarak as the new Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC).
Mbarak who was vetted by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, now awaits to be sworn in by the Chief Justice David Maraga when current CEO Halakhe Waqo's term expires on January 11, 2019.
The Security and Integrity Manager at the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is worth Sh152 million, arising from a beachfront house he owns in Kilifi, which he was given by the government according to the Nation.
Mbarak who hails from Coastal Kenya also owns a house in South C which he bought at Sh3.7 million through a loan and five acres of land he bought in 1989 at Sh90,000.
The National Assembly had been recalled for the Special sitting by Speaker Justin Muturi to deliberate on several issues among them the report by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee that vetted Mbarak.
The report was moved by the Committee Chairman, Baringo North MP William Cheptumo. During the approval of the nominee on Tuesday, the sittings were presided by Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi.
During the afternoon session, the House anonymously approved the former military intelligence officer to take over from Halakhe Waqo for the next six years.
Majority Leader Garissa Township MP Aden Duale said the referendum debate will be revived in 2019, arguing that the current system is entangled in immense corruption thus affecting EACC's mandate.
During his vetting, Mbarak pledged to do all he can, to ensure the anti-corruption agency's performance is laudable.
"I know there will be setbacks. I know the honeymoon will be short-lived but it is said that when baboons are destroying crops on the farm, just kill the biggest baboon and the rest will run away," he said, adding that: "Nobody will scare me and I will not take orders to subvert justice from any quarter. The Constitution provides that the EACC is only answerable to Parliament, no other authority."
#hivisasaoriginal