Speaker asks ODM to embrace ‘NO' team

Written By:Margaret Kalekye/KNA , Posted: Fri, Aug 13, 2010

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende on Friday opposed a move by ODM to exclude its MPs who opposed the new law from the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee.

Marende said all MPs have a right to be included in any committee.

"All MPs have a right to be included in any committee, but I'll wait for the political parties to forward the names of their nominees to the oversight committee," Mr Marende said .

Speaking during a breakfast meeting with High Commissioners in Nairobi, Mr. Marende said the political class should follow up on demonstration by showing political goodwill as Kenyans are yearning for change to sustain development by ushering the new constitution.

"Kenyans are looking at us leaders on what they want achieved and if we do not do that, we will have killed the dream of Kenyans who have high hopes on the new constitution," said Marende.

He urged ODM and PNU coalition partners to work harmoniously in order to ease the process of selecting the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee to avoid any crisis in the implementation of the new law to be promulgated by President Kibaki on 27th this month.

Marende said when the new constitution comes into law, members of parliament through their political parties will have 30 days to nominate members to the committee which he said will consits of between 11 and 27 members.

"Although we are trying to look for leaner institutions, we shall consider the agreed number where all the 222 MPs will have an equal opportunity to be represented," said Marende.

The Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the new constitution.

Marende briefed the envoys on the preparations for the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference (CPA) to be held in Kenya next month where he said all efforts have been made to ensure the conference is a success.

Bills

Attorney General Amos Wako shoulders the biggest responsibility in ensuring that the 49 Bills needed to anchor the new law are prepared without errors and in time, and presented to Parliament for legislation.

The Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee will take over from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution that steered the review process up to the referendum stage.

The time-line for entrenching the new legislations stretches from one to five years, but the first batch of laws will be done in the first three years.

Some of the laws to be passed within one year include that on citizenship, which regulates how a person can become a citizen and controls entry into and residence in Kenya, status of permanent residents, and voluntary renunciation of citizenship.

Others are the establishment of the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, legislation on elections, establishment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, legislation on legislation on political parties, and regulations on vacation of office of an MP.

Also to be enacted within one year are laws on the Judiciary to establish system of courts, and to regulate the election of speakers of county assemblies.

Other legislation includes those on public finance, Contingencies Fund, and loan guarantees by national government