CIOC vows to beat implementation deadline

Written By:Lillian Mwendo/Rufus Hunja,    Posted: Tue, Aug 02, 2011

The CIOC says it will work the extra mile to ensure all necessary Bills are published before the August 27th deadline "The August 26thdeadline for the passage of key constitutional bills will be met through all means". This is the assurance by the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) and Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo as the country looks forward to celebrating the Constitution's first anniversary in three weeks time. And Parliament is supposed to debate and pass 19 key constitutional Bills within this three weeks timeframe. These are the Bills supposed to be enacted within one year of the promulgation of the new Constitution, either on or before the 27th of August this year. With four of the Bills already tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, there are 15 more Bills to go, which have not yet been published. Seven of these are with either the Attorney General or at the cabinet stage, five with the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) and three more Bills have not yet received by CIC from line Ministries. It is a worrying situation which might force Parliament to burn the midnight oil working overtime if the 26th deadline is to be met. The CIOC will be meeting all the stakeholders in the implementation process to deliberate on the way forward in fast tracking the Bills. CIC vs Cabinet wars This rush comes amidst a war of words between Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo and the CIC after the latter accused cabinet of altering bills without consulting them. Kilonzo hit out at the CIC following their allegations that the cabinet is altering bills drafted by the commission. Mutula says the cabinet is a recognized institution of governance that is not subordinate to any organization and hence its recommendations should be incorporated in the bills. These remarks by Kilonzo are set to step up the war of words between him and the CIC, after the latter accused cabinet of altering bills without consulting them. While the commission insists it is unconstitutional to do so, Mutula says only the Supreme Court can judge the legality of the same, adding that Cabinet has a role to scrutinize bills as presented by the Attorney General and amend them. Mutula says his Ministry is waiting for the commission to complete the drafting of the Elections bill so that it can be perused by cabinet. He expressed confidence that Parliament is on course to meet the August 26th timeline in passing bills that are already before the house. The Justice Minister said a meeting to scrutinize the Corruption Ethics Law, the Police Reform Bills among others is slated for this Thursday, adding that he will ask Parliament to extend its sitting to ensure they are on course.