House fails to set up new laws team

File | NATION Parliament in a past session. MPs are faced with a battle over the formation of the team that will oversee the implementation of the new Constitution.

By NJERI RUGENE nrugene@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Tuesday, September 28 2010 at 22:00
In Summary

Political parties stall the process with their indecision on choosing members for powerful committee

Parliament on Tuesday failed to set up a committee to oversee the implementation of the new Constitution.

A meeting of the House Business Committee chaired by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka moved the task to Wednesday afternoon after some political parties in the Grand Coalition Government failed to agree on their nominees for the Parliamentary Constitution Oversight Committee.

Delay several bills

The delay is likely to delay the tabling and debate of several Bills drafted by the Justice ministry to implement the new constitution.

The role of the committee, which already has Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohammed and his Budalang’i counterpart Ababu Namwamba, is to supervise the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution and report to Parliament on its progress.

Sources who attended the meeting revealed that the House Business Committee gave the two coalition partners up to noon today to agree on their nominees.

The committee is expected to comprise no more than 15 MPs.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was said to be consulting on which Kanu MPs should be in the committee.

Joint Government Whips Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and his Kangundo counterpart Johnstone Muthama were instructed to coordinate with their parties and present a list to the House Business Committee at its meeting on Wednesday.

The list will be tabled in Parliament for adoption this afternoon, the meeting agreed.

However, Parliament can reject the list if MPs do not approve of the nominees, which would force Mr Musyoka’s team to compile a new list.

The failure to agree on the powerful committee means the three Bills that are ready can only be debated next week.