Principals told to name three foreigners for placement in vetting board

By Nation Reporter
Posted  Tuesday, August 9  2011 at  22:00

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House Speaker Kenneth Marende on Thursday asked the two Principals to name three foreigners who would help in reforming the Judiciary.

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Mr Marende told President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga that Parliament’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee was ready to look at the six names submitted to the House, and was only waiting for the three names of foreigners to sit in the Vetting Board.

“I am requesting the nominating authorities to urgently forward the remaining three names of nominees to the National Assembly for consideration bearing in mind that pursuant to section seven of the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Act, the board cannot be properly constituted unless it comprises the nine members,” he said in Parliament.

Section seven of the Act provides for three foreigners to sit in the board.

“It must be noted that for the committee to properly consider the suitability of the nominees proposed against the statutory and constitutional requirements as to appointments to public office, the committee may require to have the full picture of all the nominees proposed,” he said.

Six nominees

Mr Marende made the call when he presented to Parliament the names of Mr Sharad Sadashir Rao as the chairperson, Mr Justus Maithya Munyithya, Ms Roseline Odhiambo Odede, Prof Ngotho wa Kariuki, Ms Meuledi Mabruki Iseme and Mr Abdirashid Abdullahi as members.

According to the law, the House has until Wednesday next week to approve the nominees to the Vetting Board.

The oversight committee yesterday contemplated sanctioning the Executive for failing to submit names of the three foreigners.

Under the Act, the “President, in consultation with the Prime Minister and subject to the approval of the National Assembly shall…appoint three distinguished non-citizens serving or retired judges, each of whom has served as a Chief Justice or judge of a superior court in the Commonwealth, to be members of the Board.”