CIOC convenes crisis meeting over new laws

Updated 6 hr(s) 7 min(s) ago

By MARTIN MUTUA

The chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee (CIOC) Abdikadir Mohamed has called a crisis meeting this morning to deliberate on the way forward on the crisis facing the implementation of the new laws.

The meeting will bring together members of CIOC, Commission on Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), Attorney General Amos Wako, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo and Kenya Law Reform Commission chairman Kathurima M’Inoti.

On Tuesday, the committee met and suggested Parliament works extra hours, including weekends.

The crisis meeting is set to take a decision on the way forward before alerting the Speaker of the National Assembly and the House Business Committee.

Sources told The Standard Wednesday that the committee may takeover Bills in CIC possession and have them published.

"We are looking at the possibility of having the Bills published and presented before Parliament the same way we do guillotine for Government ministries," said the source who sought anonymity.

If this happens, then it will be the first time in the history of Parliament and by extension within the Commonwealth countries.

"Hard times calls for hard decisions to be taken and the delay by CIC and other ministries over the Bills is not only hurting the process but also the country as whole," added the source.

Out of the remaining ten Bills that are supposed to have been debated and enacted by Parliament by August 27, six of them are still with the CIC while one is with the Cabinet sub committee.

Two other Bills are still with Treasury, while another is with the Ministry of Labour. All of them yet to be forwarded to the CIC as required by law.

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo is said to have written to Attorney General Amos Wako and CIC Chairman Charles Nyachae demanding the release of the ten Bills for publication and debate in Parliament.

Pass the bills

In a letter to both Wako and Nyachae, Mutula said his office had released all the Bills that had been forwarded to his office to the Cabinet.

"We have no other Bills for processing at this time," said Mutula in the letter dated July 11, which is copied to among others Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and PS in the Prime Minister’s office Mohammed Isahakia.

Government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo said whereas Parliament was craving to pass the Bills, the executive was to blame for holding them back.

"The delay to bring the Bills to the House lies squarely with the executive because Parliament is ready to pass the Bills," he added.

Midiwo noted that the House Business Committee had decided last week to have debate on the Bills.

"We decide that we shall sit and debate all the Bills that will be listed on the order paper but if there is a delay in publishing them, then the onus is on the executive to explain why," he added.