Kenyan parliament adjourns

Written By:Catherine Achienga , Posted: Wed, Sep 01, 2010

Parliament on Wednesday adjourned for one month until September 28 to allow legislators to attend to the upcoming 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference to be held in Nairobi from August 14.

Debate was characterized by self-praise by legislators over parliament's role in seeing through a new constitutional order following the promulgation of a new constitution on Friday 27 August.

The initial adjournment motion moved by the vice president and leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka calling for adjournment until September 21 was however amended allowing an additional one week following a motion moved by Gwassi legislator John Mbadi and seconded by nominated MP Mohammed Affey.

Moving the amendment motion Mbadi said the extra week would allow legislators time prepare to return and legislate on crucial issues that will bring into effect the full implementation of the new constitution.

Meanwhile in a land mark ruling the speaker Kenneth Marende, for the first time accepted to admit as evidence a press release submitted through electronic means by foreign affairs minister Moses Wetangula on Tuesday indicating that the African Union (AU) was in support of Kenyans decision not to arrest and hand over Sudan's president Omar El Bashir to the ICC during his visit to Kenya last week.

Marende said in this era when the world is embracing ICT it would be impractical to continue to refuse to recognize the shift to electronic age.

He said he had viewed and confirmed that the AU had posted a copy on its website similar in form, content and text as the one issued by Wetangula.

The press release hailed Kenya for its move to honor an AU resolution as a member state to ignore the arrest warrant issued against El-bashir until the UN Security Council responds to its request to suspend the warrant for one year.