MPs form law review committee

• New committee has six women, three short of the one-third threshold that some members wanted.

• Party of National Unity and the ODM-K have a total of 13 members, while ODM and its partners have 14 members.

MPs have finally agreed on the composition of the Parliamentary Select Committee that will be tasked with spearheading the efforts towards a new constitution.

The new committee has six women, three short of the one-third threshold that some members wanted upheld; a move that is inconsistent with the Government's pledge of allocating 30 per cent of all appointments to women.

The immediate task of the committee is to pick the nine-member team of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission.

 It will replace the Electoral Commission of Kenya that was sent home by Parliament’s passage of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2008, which was passed by Parliament on Tuesday evening.

However, in their contributions while supporting the committee, MPs urged the new members to work for the good of the country. They said there was need to put aside party issues and make a constitution for all Kenyans.

The leader of Government Business in the august House Mr Kalonzo Musyoka withdrew the list that he had tabled last Tuesday. Similarly, Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale asked Parliament to withdraw the amendments he had made to the list presented by the Vice President.

Mr Musyoka then read the new list to the House.

The Party of National Unity and the ODM-K have a total of 13 members, while ODM and its partners have 14 members.

The PSC has Cabinet ministers: Martha Karua, Uhuru Kenyatta, Mutula Kilonzo and Moses Wetangula drawn from the PNU-ODM-K coalition.

Other members from the Kalonzo-Kibaki axis are: Mr AbdikadirMohammed, Mr David Musila, Mr Danson Mungatana, Peter Munya, Amina Abdalla, Kambi Kazungu, Wilfred Ombui, Jeremiah Kioni and Mwangi Kiunjuri.

From the ODM side are: Cabinet ministers Charity Ngilu, Musalia Mudavadi,William Ruto, Najib Balala, Sally Kosgei and James Orengo.

Other members from the Orange party are: Isaac Ruto, Ababu Namwamba, Ekwe Ethuro, Ganya Chachu, Omingo Magara,Millie Odhiambo, Sophia Abdi and Joseph Nkaissery.