This archive report was first published on 29 July 2020.
Speaker Justin Muturi has reversed his earlier stance, allowing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to hold physical meetings with accounting officers from ministries, departments, and agencies.
Initially, Muturi had banned House committees from holding physical meetings with witnesses in a bid to check the spread of COVID-19, directing them to hold virtual meetings instead.
However, after PAC Chairman Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) argued that the confidentiality of documents from government institutions cannot be shared virtually, Muturi exempted the PAC from this directive.
Wandayi had written to Muturi on July 28, 2020, stating that the committee was seeking an exemption to hold physical meetings with accounting officers within the framework of social distancing and other public health protocols.
Muturi acceded to the request, directing that the committee be allocated a spacious room to hold its meetings and that MPs and parliamentary staff undergo voluntary testing.
The PAC and the Public Investments Committee (PIC) are financial watchdog committees in the National Assembly that play a critical role in interrogating expenditures and investments of the national government to ensure prudent utilization of public funds.
