Cabinet trims law action committee

Kenya's Cabinet on Tuesday reduced the number of ministers to sit on the powerful committee to drive efforts to implement the new Constitution.

The team will now comprise the nine ministers who are lawyers by profession, as opposed to the initial 16-member team that mainly brought together ministers who actively campaigned for the passing of the new law.

The team will be charged with the task of coordinating and fast-tracking the drafting of Bills necessary to implement the Constitution.

Ministers whose ministries are required to formulate and table Bills to implement the document will be invited to the committee to report on its progress, sources at the meeting told the Nation.

The Cabinet ministers who are lawyers include Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, James Orengo, Mutula Kilonzo, Kiraitu Murungi, Moses Wetang’ula, Otieno Kajwang’, Amason Kingi, Njeru Githae and Attorney General Amos Wako.

It now means President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta will not sit on the committee even though they were in the initial team.

But the two deputy prime ministers will be required to attend some of the sittings to brief them on the progress in drafting Bills related to the Ministries of Local Government and Finance.

A bulletin released by the Presidential Press Service said the Cabinet had approved the publication and tabling in Parliament of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Bill 2010.