Kibaki and Raila to face off with ‘No’ MPs

By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, August 15 2010 at 22:00
In Summary

What leaders are likely to discuss

The role that legislators will play in implementing the new constitution.
Which MPs will be included in the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee
‘No’ side will ask President and Prime Minister to ensure amendments are made to the new constitution
According to the sixth schedule of the new Constitution, the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee will be made up of MPs and will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Constitution.

The Constitution Implementation Committee, to be made up of technocrats, will monitor, facilitate and oversee the development of laws and administrative procedures required to implement the document.


President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga will on Monday start the hard work of effecting the new Constitution when they meet MPs to discuss how to set up key implementation committees.

The two principals will come face to face with some of the MPs who opposed the new law that was passed by Kenyans on August 4. Top on the agenda of Monday’s meeting will be the membership of the two teams that will implement the new Constitution once it is promulgated on Friday, next week.

‘No’ team to attend

Monday’s meeting at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre will bring together MPs from the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement. It will start at 2pm, according to a dispatch from Presidential Press Service director Isaiah Kabira. “The meeting will be co-chaired by the President and Prime Minister,” Mr Kabira said.

One of the MPs who campaigned against the Constitution, Dr Victor Munyaka, confirmed that the ‘No’ team would attend the talks and ask the two principals to ensure that amendments were made to the new Constitution. “We do not know the agenda yet but we expect that they will deliver the promise they gave to Kenyans,” the Machakos Town MP said.

But Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi, who also opposed the new Constitution, said he was unaware of the meeting. Mr Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) and Mr Charles Keter (Belgut) said they had not been invited. All MPs had been invited.

However, ODM parliamentary secretary Ababu Namwamba said all MPs had been invited. “We sent out an open invitation to all MPs in PNU and ODM .... The meeting is for the interest of Kenyans and we want to move together in the constitution-making process,’’ he said.

After the meeting, Mr Odinga will throw a victory party for MPs who campaigned for the new Constitution at his Karen residence. The party will start at 6pm, the PM’s spokesman, Mr Dennis Onyango, said.

Mr Namwamba said the meeting would discuss the role MPs ought to play in implementing the new Constitution. The talks come only days after the ODM parliamentary group meeting called for the disciplining of MPs who opposed the new Constitution.

The party demanded that Higher Education minister William Ruto be sacked for leading the ‘No’ team during the campaigns. But Mr Ruto and his allies have dismissed the threats, saying they were reminiscent of the old Kanu dictatorial ways.

The President and PM chaired a similar meeting of MPs at the same venue in mid May to lay strategies of the campaign for the Constitution.

Monday’s meeting comes ahead of the formation of two crucial committees to steer the putting into effect of the Constitution; the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee and the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution. Some MPs who opposed the new Constitution have demanded to be included in the committee whose size is yet to be agreed on.

Mr Linturi and his Mosop counterpart David Koech last week warned of attempts to lock out ‘No’ campaigners from the committee and demanded that appointments to the team be done in a free and fair manner.

Additional reporting By Benedict Tirop, Geoffrey Rono and Ouma Wanzala