Photo | PMPS Prime Minister Raila Odinga (centre), House Speaker Kenneth Marende (left) and his deputy Farah Maalim leave after the opening session of the Kenya Legislative Development Conference at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club on March 29, 2012.
By Njeri Rugene nrugene@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, March 29 2012 at 22:00
Posted Thursday, March 29 2012 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
The House has kept Executive in check since the National Accord was signed
Parliament was roundly commended on Thursday for its critical role in stabilising the coalition government and keeping it in check.
The Tenth Parliament was also praised for overseeing the writing of a new Constitution and its implementation.
At a conference in Nairobi to review the development of Parliament so far, speakers paid tribute to the current Legislature, describing it as the fastest growing democracy in Africa.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that although there had been instances of progress and regression, Parliament had spearheaded some of the greatest reforms the country had realised.
He singled out some of the key achievements of the Tenth Parliament as ensuring a return to calm after the 2007/8 post-election violence and its role in midwifing the current Constitution.
“Despite many challenges, our Parliament has spearheaded some of the great reforms that the nation has witnessed and which have proved to be the safety valves our nation needed at times of great pressure,” Mr Odinga said.
He expressed confidence that Parliament was up to the task and “would not fail Kenyans” in ensuring full implementation of the Constitution.
However, while acknowledging that Parliament had not been as responsible and “as August as we ought to be in dealing with certain issues”, he noted that the House was largely a reflection of what the country had gained such as more freedom and control of its calendar.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende said it was encouraging that Parliament was “clearly” in the forefront in leading the country into a more democratic nation.
“I urge that we Parliament, constituting the core of the third pillar under Vision 2030 remain ever so determined and continue to perform to preserve our pride of place in the African continent as a nation,” Mr Marende said.
Mr Adan Keynan, vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, praised MPs in the Tenth Parliament.
He observed that they had performed “very well’ given the circumstances under which they were elected.
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