Constitution Review -Rift

The committee of experts on the review of the constitution has refuted claims of a split among the commissioners.

During a media briefing at a Naivasha hotel where the committee is having a retreat, the chairman Nzamba Kitonga downplayed the claims saying only Ms Njoki Ndung'u failed to show up for the retreat.

Kitonga said the decision to have the retreat was discussed on Monday, September 14 and agreed upon by all committee members in line with statutory requirements for members to engage full time in the process.

According to Kitonga, Ms Ndung'u had endorsed the idea of a retreat but failed to turn up. He said the panel would discuss her absence at the end of the retreat.

Kitonga said all the other commissioners including the foreign experts were in attendance on the retreat that seeks to come up with a draft constitution acceptable to all Kenyans.

He said the AG who is an ex-official member of the committee and Commissioner Bobby Mkangi who also failed to turn had given prior notices of their absence.

During its retreat the committee will consider all draft constitutions and documents collated and collected by the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC).

Kadhi courts

Kitonga said the inclusion of the Kadhi courts in the draft constitution was no longer a contentious issue as the committee had reached a consensus following consultations with the religious sector and the civil society.

He dismissed reports that the committee had consulted widely with political parties saying that they had only held initial discussions during a retreat in Mombasa.

"The process is ongoing and we expect to meet them again on September 24 before the expected publishing of the final draft," he said.

After the publication the draft will be tabled before parliament where further consultations will take place.

The committee which has spent seven months collecting views from Kenyans has two months left in their time table to wind up and table a draft constitution.