AfricaPress-Tanzania: BEHIND an exemplary performance of the parliament, there are crucial personnel who are rarely mentioned, but their presence and roles speak volumes.
Apart from Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, another key senior official of the house is the Clerk of the National Assembly whose post was established by Article 87 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The Clerk of the parliament, who according to the constitution is a Presidential appointee, is the Chief executive of the office of the National Assembly.
The main role of the clerk is to advise the Speaker and Members of Parliament on House procedures and privileges.
He helps the Speaker to prepare for each sitting of the House and sits in the Chamber at the commencement of each sitting. He also records formal decisions of the House and gives procedural advice to the Speaker or other MPs as needed.
The Clerk advises on the practice and procedure of the House; The formal and informal rules which govern its everyday activities.
The just dissolved 11th Parliament that was led by Speaker Job Ndugai, Kongwa MP on CCM ticket and his deputy Dr Tulia Ackson Nominated MP, has been served by two clerks since November 2015 when it was inaugurated by President John Magufuli.
The 11th Assembly started with Dr Thomas Kashilila who served between 2009 until October 7, 2017 after Dr Magufuli appointed Mr Stephen Kagaigai to a position of Clerk of the Parliament.
Among the remarkable achievements of the 11th Parliament during Dr Kashilila’s tenure was the establishment of Bunge TV Channel.
In June 2017, when Dr Kashililah was still serving the Parliament, Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Ndugai, formed two probe teams on Tanzanite and diamond minerals.
Findings of the reports led to the resignation of the then Minister of State President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PoLARG) Mr George Simbachawene, and the Deputy Minister of Works, Transport and Communications, Engineer Edwin Ngonyani.
The duo resigned after their names were implicated by the special Bunge probe committees. On October 7, 2017, Dr Magufuli appointed Mr Kagaigai with a statement from the Directorate of Presidential Communications noting that Dr Kashilila would be assigned other duties.
The move sparked debate among activists and some members of the parliament from the opposition side, with most of them claiming that procedures weren’t followed on the new appointment.
However, Dr Kashilila himself defended Dr Magufuli’s decision saying the decision was within the constitutional framework, citing Article 87 (1) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Dr Kashilila was later appointed the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Agriculture before he retired from public service.
Some of the changes that have been observed during Kagaigai’s tenure before the parliament was dissolved include digitalising the parliament for which all activities are run paperless.
The parliament has also built the Bunge Girls Secondary School in Dodoma, as part of its efforts to improve education and increase access to learning for girls.
The Parliament has been served by 11 Clerks, including Geofrey Hucks (1960-1962), Pius Msekwa (1962-1970), Yassin Osman (1970-1973), William Maina (1974-1979), Alias Kazimoto (1979-1985) and Mahmoud Mwindadi (1985-1992).
Others are George Mlawa (1992-2000), Kipenka Mussa (2000-2004), Damian Foka (2004-2008), Dr Thomas Kashililah (2009-2017) and Stephen Kagaigai from 2017 to Present.
