Parliament bars Cabinet secretaries from flying national flag
Parliament has stripped Cabinet secretaries and governors of the luxury of having their official vehicles bedecked with a national flag. Photo/FILE
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However, high commissioners and ambassadors, who rank junior to the ministers, were allowed to fly the flag while in foreign missions.
The Cabinet secretaries now join the 47 county governors in the list of those barred from flying the national flag.
Parliament has passed a Bill that bars Cabinet secretaries from flying the national flag on their official vehicles for the first time in Kenya’s history.
Governors will also not be allowed to have the flag on their vehicles and will now be restricted to the county flag if President Uhuru Kenyatta assents to the National Flag, Emblems and Names (Amendment) Bill.
High commissioners and ambassadors who are junior in rank to ministers were allowed to fly the flag while in foreign missions.
MPs voted through acclamation to throw out an amendment to the National Flag, Emblems and Names (Amendment) Bill, 2013 sponsored by Majority leader Aden Duale who wanted the Bill changed to include the 18 secretaries in the list of State officers authorised to fly the flag.
“If we don’t fly flags as elected MPs, why should we give cabinet secretaries? I oppose the amendment,” Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo said.
He was supported by Rashid Juma who said: “If we deny governors who were elected to fly the national flag, we cannot give cabinet secretaries who are appointees of the president the luxury to fly the national flag.”
The decision by MPs to lock out ministers and governors now leaves the president, his deputy, the Speakers of Senate and National Assembly, the chief justice and ambassadors as persons legally entitled to mount and fly the flags.
Those who flout provisions of the Bill sponsored by Eldas MP Adan Keynan will face a fine not exceeding Sh1 million.
The Bill sailed that through its third reading now awaits Mr Kenyatta’s assent. The president may choose not to sign the Bill into law and refer a memorandum to the House for changes. It takes a two thirds (233 MPs) majority to overturn the president’s memo.
In the electronic voting, 74 MPs voted against allowing ministers to fly the flag while 51 MPs supported Mr Duale’s amendment. There were 125 MPs present when the MPs took the decision to deny Cabinet secretaries the right to fly a flag.
Mr Duale, while urging MPs to support his amendment for ministers to fly the flag said only Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma had developed a county flag, coat of arms and seal, which the Attorney-General is yet to approve.
Majority chief whip Katoo Metito and his deputy, Naomi Shaaban, said MPs should consider the consequences of barring ministers from flying the flag.
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