Neighbourhood Kenya 20th Edition - Kara

FOCUS
will be a major boost to service delivery in the
judiciary given that under the current system, the
judges visit several stations on a circuit calendar.
The judiciary will also hire 160 more
magistrates and 129 research assistants for
judges to ensure speedy delivery of judgments
and rulings. On the economic front, the Central
Bank of Kenya (CBK) will be put under close
scrutiny following a year that saw the shilling
slump to a record low of Sh107 against the dollar.
CBK Governor Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u will also
have to be alert if he is to effectively deal with
economic crimes such as money laundering, a
vice that is highly prevalent during the election
year.
Events at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will
equally be of utmost interest due to the change of
guard. John Njiraini recently succeeded Michael
Waweru and it will be interesting to see how the
former handles the mantle at Times Tower.
Waweru, whose term ended recently after
eight years as the taxman-in-chief, has been
credited with not just significantly improving tax
collection but also by giving KRA a professional
image. And having impressively increased
revenue collection from Sh183 Billion in 2002
to Sh635 Billion during the last fiscal year, eyes
will be trained on Njiraini to see if he effectively
sustains, or surpasses this rate. Having made
a name for compelling legislators to pay taxes
last year, it will also be absorbing to see how
Njiraini ensures those who did not do so clear
outstanding tax arrears accrued since the new
constitution was promulgated. He will also
be faced with the challenging task of clearing
those seeking political offi ces on grounds of tax
compliance.
Another aspect of governance that will be
brought to test in 2012 will be the much-hyped
devolution. A devolved system of government will,
under the new constitutional dispensation, not
just take services closer to the people but also
have Kenyan citizens get involved in the budgetmaking
process. And it is in 2012 that the process
is expected to take shape, particularly once
Parliament enacts all necessary legislations.
When it comes to the fi ght against graft,
2012 will equally be a critical year. This is putting
in mind that the controversy surrounding the
appointments of commissioners to the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is already
threatening to give the commission a false start.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila
Odinga recently nominated Mr. Mumo Matemu,
Ms Irene Keino and Prof Jane Onsongo to the EACC,
only for the Parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs
Committee to declare them unfi t for the posts. MPs
nonetheless shot down the parliamentary committee’s
report countering the nominations, in essence setting
the stage for the House to debate the commissioners’
aptness afresh.
With some civil society groups having gone
to court to block Mr. Matemu’s appointment and
many others calling for a fresh start in the process,
Parliament’s decision on this issue will be of key
public interest as it might be crucial in defi ning how
Kenya will tackle graft under the new constitution.
Another appointment that is being keenly awaited
is that of the National Environmental Management
Authority (Nema) director general. The post remains
unfi lled over one and-a-half years since the previous
director general saw off his contract. But despite the
Nema board conducting interviews and short-listing
candidates last November, no appointment is yet to
be offi cially made. This has been attributed to vested
interests among powerful individuals who want a
candidate of their choice to be given the nod. But at
a time when the country is experiencing unparalleled
environmental degradation, the nation will have its
eyes trained on the president to see who he appoints,
and how the appointee handles this vital offi ce.
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