CIC slams Kenya AG for new law delay

Written By:Mary Daraja/Margaret Kalekye,    Posted: Tue, Jun 28, 2011

The new constitution requires Attorney General Amos Wako to leave office by the end of August

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution - CIC is accusing Attorney General Amos Wako of being an impediment to the constitution implementation process.

In a protest letter by CIC chairman Charles Nyachae to Wako the commission raises questions over the delay in submitting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission - IIEBC bill 2011 to the President for assent.

Nyachae in the letter copied to Justice Minister, the Kenya Law Reform and the Parliamentary Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee said the AG was entirely to blame for delaying the bill.

"Whilst it may be understandable that Parliamentary processes resulted in the delay relative to the internal timeliness, we are with respect, unable to see any justification for the delay in presenting the Bill to the President for Assent" said the CIC chairman.

He said that other bills passed by parliament recently have been signed by the President while the all important IIEBC bill is yet to be forwarded to the President for his approval.

He said there was a delay in passing the crucial bill and the commission does not understand why the AG is taking too long to forward the bill to the president.

Nyachae further questioned whether the inordinate delay of one month, to forward the Bill to the President, is a deliberate ploy to stall the implementation process, or whether it is as a result of a lack of appreciation of the import of the constitutional obligation the Attorney General has in the process.

He added "in either event, from the perspective of CIC in the discharge of its mandate, the Attorney General begins to appear like an impediment to the process".

The new constitution requires the AG to leave office by the end of August