Kenyan Mps sworn in afresh

Written By:Collins Anampiu , Posted: Fri, Aug 27, 2010

The speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende led the members of parliament in taking the Oath of Allegiance, with President Mwai Kibaki administering the Oath for the second time though as Member of Parliament for Othaya in tandem with the provisions of the new constitution.

Led by the speaker, all 218 members of parliament with an exception of 4 members who their elections were nullified by court administered an Oath of allegiance to serve and protect the new law.

Earlier speaker Kenneth Marende had to give a ruling to allow ministers to take the oath following condemnation by members that all those cabinet members implicated in corruption should not be sworn in.

On Thursday Ikolomani legislator Bonny Khalwale moved an amendment to the original motion by the Vice president and leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka seeking to have MPs sworn in at 5pm on Friday saying pushing the exercise to Saturday would be in contravention of the new law which stipulates that all officers holding public office should be sworn in within 24 hours once the new constitution takes effect.

The amendment was unanimously supported by the other legislators who opposed the idea of the cabinet ministers being sworn in on Friday while the MPs are sworn in on Saturday saying the ministers have to be sworn in as MPs first before they could be sworn in as ministers.

The oaths represent a departure from the old style and are designed to end a culture of political patronage where loyalty was first to the president, then to the nation.

Meanwhile, more than 300 magistrates around the country also took new oath of office.

The initial plan was to have magistrates sworn in at seven stations namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru, Meru, Kisumu and Kakamega on Saturday.

The decision to change at the last minute came after MPs debated in parliament and came to an agreement that it would be illegal for any public officer to take oath on Saturday when the Constitution provides that they should do so the day the new law takes effect.