CIC renews attacks on AG

Written By:Martin Mwanje/Lillian Mwendo,    Posted: Wed, Feb 08, 2012

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) has criticized Attorney General Githu Muigai for failing to obey the law on implementation of the Constitution (File Picture) In its one year status report, the Constitution Implementation Committee (CIC) indicts the State Law Office for allegedly sabotaging reforms. The Commission charged with overseeing the constitution implementation process says the roadmap has been bumpy, with resistance coming mainly from the Executive and Parliament. This resistance comes in various forms such as frustration of the constitutional implementation process, inadequacy in the provisions of some legislation despite advisories issued by ICC to various implementing partners and the participation of the people not being taken seriously. According to CIC, the AG has expressed his willingness, indeed his commitment to subjugate his opinions to those organs of government, even where those organs may be acting in breach of the constitution. CIC however cites the extent of public participation in the legislative process as a key milestone so far achieved by Kenyans. The defunct taskforce on devolution was also busy trailing its guns at the Attorney General for allegedly altering bills aimed at operationalizing the county governments. Members of  the defunct task force on devolution are  raising a red flag over the contents of the just published devolution bills. Kipchumba Murkomen, a Moi University law lecturer who was a member of the task force accuses the office of the Attorney General for allegedly altering crucial bills aimed at spelling out modalities of how to guide county governments. Murkomen cautioned MPs against rushing debate on the bills, saying they risk compromising the concept of devolution envisaged in the constitution. With Parliament set to resume on Tuesday he is now calling on legislators to rise to the occasion and make amendments to the bills before passing them lest they fail to meet their objectives. Former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Hassan Omar attributes the culture of altering bills before debate in Parliament to vested interests among the political leadership who he says are keen to maintain the status quo. Land and Finance bills are some of the key bills set to be debated by Parliament when it resumes next week, in order to meet the set deadlines.