Photo/FILE President Mwai Kibaki arrives in Parliament for its special opening on March 22,2011. MPs, who have been away for over a month, return to the House to sift through, debate, amend and approve crucial Bills to implement the country’s new Constitution, before the expiry of the February 27 deadline.
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, January 29 2012 at 22:30
Posted Sunday, January 29 2012 at 22:30
The public hearings on the proposed electoral zones come to an end on Monday as reports from Parliament indicate that it is set to re-open in two weeks.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende has yielded to calls to recall Parliament with a tentative re-opening date of February 14.
Well-placed sources within the Parliamentary Service Commission said Mr Marende held meetings with the Joint Government Whips Jakoyo Midiwo and Johnstone Muthama before settling on the date.
Laws pending
It is understood that the date was picked because it coincides with the day that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is scheduled to submit its report on the boundaries review to Parliament for debate.
The House may either approve or reject the report. The commission has 14 days to review the report, make corrections while taking into account public views before presenting it to the Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.
The news of a re-opening date comes on the day that the Speaker’s ban on committee meetings lapses.
The committee meetings had been put off when the MPs went for the Christmas recess until January 30 (Monday) to allow parliamentary staff to take their annual leave.
The re-opening date gives MPs just two weeks to sift through, debate, amend and approve crucial Bills to implement Kenya’s 17-month-old Constitution, before the expiry of the February 27 deadline.
On the MPs’ legislative menu is the approval of four key laws on land, its ownership and use in the country.
It also has to pass laws on devolution, this being the final year within which the government has to set up the structures of governance in all the 47 county governments.
The chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, Mr Abdikadir Mohammed, noted the timeline is short and said Parliament will have a difficult year.
“The time we have to pass key legislation is short and the issues very critical. In the current political climate, it is going to be a very difficult year,” Mr Mohammed told journalists at Parliament buildings on Friday as he and two other MPs pushed for an early re-opening of the House.
The “difficulty” will arise from the political ramifications of the two presidential hopefuls –Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto-- who are wanted in an international court for crimes against humanity. (READ: How ICC will change the future of Kenyan politics)
The two have clout in Parliament because they command the support of a large number of MPs. Given the numbers needed to pass laws and make key appointments to key State offices, the two are likely to call the shots.
The Speaker’s Office, has so far, not received a petition reportedly circulated by Bura MP Abdi Nuh who wants the House to resume its sitting on February 7.
The MP has to collect 112 signatures to have Parliament resume to enact the laws that are required to implement the Constitution.
If the MPs take this route, as soon as the laws are enacted, the House will go on recess until it is formally recalled by the Speaker.
The Joint Government Whip, Mr Johnstone Muthama (PNU) said that he was not privy to the petition, which, as a whip he ought to know so that he can rally MPs.
Mr Muthama said he had met the Speaker on Thursday “on other matters concerning Parliament”.
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