DRAFT DEBATE RESUMES

Debate on the proposed constitution resumes Tuesday ahead of an expected showdown on Wednesday as Members line up 130 amendments.

Members have rushed to beat Tuesday deadline issued by House Speaker Kenneth Marende for them to submit their proposed amendments.

The speaker set the debate on the amendments for Wednesday but ruled that the debate on each of the amendments can only take off if the house has more than 145 members at the time each is called.

Any amendments would then be referred to the Committee of Experts for refining ahead of a referendum on the document

Chapters lined up for amendments include Representation, Judiciary and the Bill of Rights in which abortion and Kadhis courts have raised a lot of storm from various quarters.

Last week the House Business Committee extended on Wednesday and Thursday sittings up to 8PM to dispense with the constitution debate before Thursday when parlimanet is expected to hand over the draft constitution to the CoE and the Attoney General for incorporation and publication.

So far, there has been no agreement between the Grand Coalition parties - the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the Party of National Unity (PNU) - over the amendments.

Elsewhere, Former Justice Minister Martha Karua says the proposed constitution should be passed without amendments.

Karua says the country has come so close to getting a new law and is urging members of parliament not allow the chance to slip away.

Karua says any amendments to the document can be carried out after it is passed and adopted.

Speaking to the press in Nairobi, Karua said the proposed constitution is representative and called on Kenyans to vote for it during the referendum.

The former minister called on religious leaders not to allow the debate on abortion and Kadhis court to derail the process saying there is still room for consensus building on the issue.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi has downplayed the current standoff among legislators over the draft constitution and exuded confidence that Kenyans will this time round get a new document.

He said although many Kenyans were pessimistic over the impasse, MPs were serious about giving this country a new constitutional dispensation and that they are now concentrating on effecting key amendments to ensure that the country goes to the referendum united.

The Minister, who was addressing Departmental Heads during a South Imenti District Development Committee meeting at Nkubu asked Kenyans to remain optimistic that a new constitution will be enacted this year.