President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Harambee House where they held talks on February 07, 2011. PHOTO/ PPS
By NATION Reporter
Posted Monday, February 7 2011 at 15:58
President Kibaki's office reports they have agreed with Prime Minister Raila Odinga to let parliament decide the fate of the nominees to justice and budget office jobs.
The two leaders met at the President's office for one-and-half hours in what was keenly watched across the country in the hope it would finally resolve a controversy triggered by President Kibaki's nominations to four key State jobs on January 28.
A statement from the Presidential Press Service said "on the issue of the nominations to fill State offices currently under consideration by Parliament, the two principals agreed to respect the ongoing parliamentary process and its outcome".
An aide to the PM, Mr Salim Lone confirmed the decision to leave the issue to parliament.
"The PM is confident that parliament will send back the nominations to the two principals. The President and the PM will then ensure that the constitutional requirements for the submission of such nominations is adhered to," said Mr Lone.
According to PPS, the two leaders discussed four agenda items:
- The Kenya case at the International Criminal Court (ICC)
- The nominations to fill Constitutional offices
- The resettlement of people displaced following the post-election violence in 2008
- Acting ministerial appointments.
On ICC, the statement said "the two Principals reiterated the position of the Government that Kenya has always preferred that the cases be dealt with through a local legal mechanism.
"To that end, the Grand Coalition Government has embarked on the critical appointments in the Judicial system to ensure that the country has a credible local Judicial mechanism to competently and comprehensively deal with the cases relating to post election violence."
Letter and Spirit
Kenyans were assured that President Kibaki and Mr Odinga will observe "the letter and spirit of the Constitution in implementation of the Constitution including the appointment to state offices".
During the same meeting, Minister of State for Public Service was appointed to also act as Minister for Medical Services, whose substantive leader Prof Peter Anyang' Nyong'o is away in the US seeking treatment.
The Minister for Fisheries Amason Jeffah Kingi was named to act in place of Henry Kosgei as Minister for Industrialisation after he was suspended upon being charged with a corruption offence.
Last week, National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende ruled that Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Finance, Planning and Trade committee had a week to look into the nominations. (READ: Speaker holds back, but judge rules list illegal)
The ruling opened a window for the two principals to hold further consultations to address the row that has seriously split the coalition government.
Mr Marende hoped that the dispute would be sorted out before Thursday so that Parliament’s intervention is not required in what is essentially a power struggle within the government.
On the same day of the Speaker's ruling, the High Court declared the nominations unconstitutional because the proper procedure was not followed and that the nominees did not represent gender equity. (READ: Court says Kibaki nominees illegal)
The two House departmental committees were set to meet from Monday.
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