Magufuli pick of new national assembly clerk now criticised

Dar es Salaam. Opposition politicians and analysts yesterday criticised the appointment of the new Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Stephen Kagaigai, on the grounds that it contravened the National Assembly Administration Act, 2008.

Announcing a cabinet reshuffle at State House yesterday, President Magufuli said Mr Kagaigai was replacing Dr Thomas Kashililah, who would be assigned other duties.

But Members of Parliament for Kaliua and Kigoma Urban, Ms Magdalena Sakaya and Mr Zitto Kabwe, said the appointment violated procedures and the country’s laws.

The National Assembly Administration Act provides that subject to Article 87 of the Constitution, the Parliamentary Service Commission shall recommend three names for appointment to the position of Clerk of National Assembly.

In her capacity as a member of the Commission, however, Ms Sakaya claimed that no meeting was convened for the House committee to choose and propose the three names from which the President was to pick one.

“How can the President appoint someone without our recommendations? I’m hearing this for the first time from you. I can assure you that no Commission meeting was called for the purpose of choosing names that were to be submitted to the President for appointment of the new Clerk of the National Assembly,” she said in a telephone interview.

Mr Kabwe said the appointment of new Clerk of the National Assembly did not comply with procedures stipulated in the country’s Constitution and the National Assembly procedures.

“Ask Mr Mbowe (Freeman), Msigwa (Peter), Zungu (Mussa Azzan), Turky (Salim) and Sakaya (Magdalena) if the meeting was held because they are among the commissioners. The decision has once again proved Executive’s interference in the National Assembly affairs,” he wrote in short message sent to The Citizen.

For his part, University of Dar es Salaam’s (UDSM) political science lecturer Richard Mbunda wondered as tp reasons that may have forced the President to make such changes in the position of the Clerk of the National Assembly.

“I know the Constitution empowers the President to appoint a person out of 3 names submitted by the Parliamentary Commission to the position, but in my opinion, Dr Kashililah was doing well in the position, deserving more time to serve the country in that capacity,” he observed.