Kenya crisis talks end

The mediation talks on Kenya’s post-election crisis have formally wound up after six months of negotiations.

The Chair of the mediation talks Prof Oluyemi Adeniji has urged Parliament to speed up the adoption of two Bills aimed so as to give Kenyans a new Constitution and only then will the one-year countdown to this realisation begin.

The Bills are the Constitution of Kenya Review Bill 2008 and the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2008.

The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2008 proposes to amend the constitution to insert a new section, 47A, to provide for the procedure for the replacement of the current constitution with a new one.

The Constitution of Kenya Review Bill 2008 on the other hand, proposes the road map to a desirable constitution for the country.

“Parliament should show good faith by adopting the Bills before they adjourn,” said Prof Adeniji.

He added: “This will ensure that by this time next year, Kenyans will be having this document. We hope that this will happen.”

Prof Adeniji said a new constitution was important for the country and the time for this to be realised was now. 

“We have always emphasised on this issue because we recognise its importance to the future of the country,” said Prof Adeniji moments after chairing Wenesday’s session at Serena hotel.

His sentiments were supported by Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Mutula Kilonzo who assured Kenyans that they will indeed have the document within the one year they had promised.

He said there was already consensus in the grand coalition government that this was the way forward.

“This will, however, be possible when Parliament adopts the legal platform to kick-start the process,” he said. 

He sought to allay fears that with the enactment of a new constitution, the grand coalition will stand dissolved.

“This will not happen. I can assure you that by 2012, the country will conduct the General Election under a new constitution,” he said.

The Law Society of Kenya had expressed concern that parliament was unlikely to endorse a new constitution within a year for fear of fresh elections and that the new document would also mean the end of the grand coalition government.

Prof Adeniji at the same time came to the defence of the panel of mediators against accusations of absenteeism, which had threatened to derail the process.

He said the talks were characterised by constant consultations, even amongst themselves, when they did not meet him.

The meeting was called to harmonise all the agreements that had been reached so far at the talks with the medium term plans for the government.

Prof Adeniji said this was meant to ensure that there are no disputes or controversy between what the mediators were doing with the government plans.

And with the conclusion of the talks, what now remains is the implementation phase of all the agreements.

Prof Adeniji revealed that a team will be set up to monitor the implementation of these agreements.

The team will make periodic reports on what has been done and submit them to the President and the Panel of Eminent African Personalities led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

“This will ensure that all the agreements do not gather dust like the other reports made in the past,” he said.

 “We want to this time ensure that the agreements, however nice they may be, are implemented in full to the satisfaction of Kenyans.”