MPs upbeat on Naivasha talks

MPs refining the revised draft constitution in Naivasha's Great Rift Valley Lodge are upbeat, with a number sure that they will strike a deal next Wednesday.

Four of the lawmakers, who took part in a similar process in 2004 say “things are looking up.”

Speaking to the Nation, Mr Wetang’ula said the “political temperature” in the current committee was not as “hot” as in the 2004 PSC.

“This time round, the MPs are able to agree with each other… even when they have different points of view, they are able to listen and see where their colleagues are coming from,” said Mr Wetang’ula, the Foreign Affairs minister.

The minister lamented that the 2004 committee was “politically volatile” as the MPs were pulling in different directions to satisfy their party interests.

Then, like now, it was LDP versus NAK and the fight has now metamorphosed into an ODM versus PNU affair.

But, at the moment, with the internal wrangling in both ODM and PNU, the party bond among members is not as strong.

“I am sure we’ll strike a deal come next week,” Mr Wetang’ula said.

The other legislators involved in the Naivasha Sopa Lodge talks are: Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr William Ruto and Mr Najib Balala.

Nominated MP Sophia Abdi Noor (ODM) was also optimistic that the Parliamentary Select Committee will deliver a new Constitution.

Ms Noor was a delegate for the civil society in the Bomas conference.

“You can’t compare how fast and how well we are building consensus in this meeting…it is wonderful,” she told the Nation.

The nominated MP, who has been in the forefront lobbying for women and the marginalised, insisted that reports of a stalemate are far-fetched.

“We are confident that come Wednesday, you’ll have a refined and practical draft Constitution, reflecting the wishes of the people.”

She added: “We hope we’ll be able to break the jinx that has dogged the making of a new Constitution.”

For two-decades now Kenyans have been waiting for a new Constitution. With the renewed hope and political commitment from both President Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and now the PSC, the agonising wait may soon be over.

Mr Balala, Mr Ruto and Mr Kenyatta are also back in Naivasha six years later to continue with the work of making a new Constitution.
At the time, Mr Kenyatta was the Leader of Official Opposition. He is now a deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government and Finance minister.

Mr Ruto moderated the 2004 PSC discussions as chairman. He is now ODM’s deputy party leader and Agriculture minister in the Coalition Government.

Sources within the committee confided in the Nation that Mr Ruto was instrumental in breaking the impasse over the Executive with the proposal to have a pure Presidential system of governance.

Mr Balala remains key in actualising the process as he is a formidable force in the Coast Province politics and remains a top leader in his ODM party by virtue of sitting in the Pentagon.

He, however, missed the first three days of week-long talks in Naivasha only joining the debate on Thursday when the MPs were discussing the clause on the Executive.

Parliament’s counsel Jeremiah Nyegenye, then the programmes officer in the now defunct Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, was also in the Sopa Lodge meeting.

The Bomas draft was taken over and altered by Attorney General Mr Amos Wako and a section of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commissioners in Kilifi.

Kenyans overwhelmingly voted out the ‘Wako draft’ in the November 21, 2005 referendum.

As the PSC goes ahead to refine the draft given to it by the Committee of Experts, Kenyans will be hoping that their candid views will be taken on board.