MPs troop back to speed up new laws

Monday, 21 March 2011 00:02 BY FRANCIS MUREITHI

FULL PLATE: PMs return to Parliament tomorrow to enact urgent laws on the new constitution.

MPs troop back to Parliament tomorrow to fast-track the implementation of the new constitution. There are 10 new bills linked to the new constitution they are expected to pass by August 28. They will also debate and pass a supplementary budget and the main budget.
Save for the new laws, Parliament has the task of debating candidates who will be proposed for the post of new Chief Justice, Attorney General, Auditor General and a new public prosecutor. The appointees must be in office by August 28. A new CJ was supposed to be appointed by February 27.
MPs - who have been on a two weeks break- come back at a time the country has been treated to chaotic arguments on whether the Ocampo Six should be prosecuted locally or be charged at the ICC.
President Kibaki and his allies have pushed for a deferral of the ICC cases, Prime Minister Raila Odinga rejected the proposal maintaining that the country lacks credible local mechanisms to prosecute the suspects.
PNU secretary general Kiraitu Murungi said his MPs will push for implementation of a motion passed a month ago seeking to pull Kenya out of the Rome Statute. “We will be moving a motion in Parliament to de-ratify the Rome Statute due to politicization of the court,” said Kiraitu.
Within the next five months, MPs are required to have passed a law establishing a Supreme Court and appointment of its judges. They are required to enact law to transform the Interim Independent Electoral Commission into an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. This Bill is presently in the hands of Attorney General Amos Wako who is supposed to publish it before it is introduced in Parliament.
MPs are also supposed to pass by August legislation on how the new electoral body will review boundaries of constituencies and counties.
The law will outline nomination of candidates, continuous registration of voters including those living abroad, conduct of elections and referenda and dealing with electoral disputes.
The same deadline applies for Parliament passing a law providing the rules to be followed by a special committee that will be advising the President about convicted criminals who should be pardoned.
By August 28 Parliament is also required to have passed a law providing for the election and removal from office of speakers of county assemblies.