Help us effect law, Raila tells Kenya’s friends

• Country is short of experienced drafters of Bills MPs must pass, says Prime Minister

Prime minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday sought international help in preparing crucial Bills that will bring the new Constitution into force.

Foreign experts would help fill the gap caused by the shortage of experienced drafters in Kenya, he said.

A total of 49 Bills are to be prepared for enactment by Parliament before the new Constitution can be fully implemented.

“By asking for support in drafting the Bills, the country will be seeking to benefit from the experiences of other countries,” Mr Odinga said.

“Currently, there’s a big shortage of experienced legal drafters at the AG’s office,” the PM said at his new Shell and BP offices.

Six draft Bills have been prepared and were on Tuesday being considered by the nine-member Cabinet committee.

They include the Judicial Service Commission Bill, the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill, the Equal Opportunities Bill, the Matrimonial Property Bill 2007, the Marriage 2007, and the Family Protection Bill 2007.

Bill has been approved

The latter three were had been lying at the Cabinet office and were quickly reworked to be in line with the provisions of the new Constitution.

Already, the Commission for Implementation of the New Constitution Bill has been approved by the Cabinet and published.

Said Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo: “The Cabinet committee is meeting nearly daily to discuss the Bills because we need to respect the calendar of implementation.”

Mr Odinga called for international help after holding talks with former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who had paid him a courtesy call.

Ms Albright, who is currently the chairperson of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), was accompanied by former Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle and US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger.

Even though Kenya has more than 30 legal drafters at the AG’s office, the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC) and Parliament, not all of them have the experience to deal with the proposed laws in the new Constitution.

KLRC chairman Kathurima M’Inoti and Chief Parliamentary Counsel Margaret Nzioka are leading the government team preparing the Bills.

Attorney General Amos Wako is set to fly to London this week to negotiate for more experienced drafters.

It is the Commission for the Implementation of the New Constitution Bill that establishes a nine-member Constitution Implementation Commission which will oversee the drafting of the Bills and the subsequent enforcement of the laws.

Ms Albright pledged the NDI’s support in anchoring the Constitution in Kenya, saying they acknowledged the great amount of work needed in implementing the new law.