Team to drive law implementation sworn in

The Constitution implementation commission was on Tuesday sworn into office and promised to immediately focus on laws required to fully bring the Supreme law into effect, amid a sense of urgency.

Mr Charles Nyachae and the eight members of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) took an oath of office at the office of the Chief Justice, and immediately left for work.

Minutes after the team took an oath, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo submitted to it copies of the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill and the Judicial Service Bill, asking the commissioners to either accept, reject or amend them as they wish.

Mr Nyachae, who is the Chairman of the commission, was the first to be sworn in at around 11.45 am, in the presence of Chief Justice Evan Gicheru.

Prof Peter Wanyande, Ibrahim M. Ali, Elizabeth Mwangi, Florence Omosa, Catherine Muma, Kamotho Waiganjo, Philemon Mwaisaka and Kibaya Imana Laibuta followed, in that order.

“Being cognisant of the timelines and the slight delay already experienced, the Commission intends to hit the ground running and will start its work this very afternoon,” Mr Nyachae said after the swearing in.

He also laid out their plans: looking at the published Bills, presented by the Justice minister, and the other laws listed in the new Constitution for enactment.

“The greatest legacy that we as a commission can leave to this country would be to fully implement this Constitution within a period lesser than the five-year Constitutional lifespan of the commission.

“As a commission, we are fully cognisant of the sense of urgency in the minds of Kenyans,” he told journalists shortly before they sped off to their offices in Westlands.

Although the team had not come up with a comprehensive timetable for its work, Mr Nyachae indicated that they were going to meet immediately and look at the required laws, then agree on a programme.

He promised that his team will also, in the earliest opportunity, develop and publish a five-year work-plan and identify urgent areas according to the timelines spelt out in the Constitution.

He said that his team was free to either validate or reject Mr Mutula’s Bills, noting that the minister had observed as much when he was handing over the documents.

Mr Kilonzo also had indicated that the Justice ministry had written to the Treasury requesting it to release funds for the commission.

He added that the implementation of the Constitution was already behind schedule by more than two months, and told the commissioners that their appointment carried “heavy responsibility” of sticking to the timelines and keeping the work on track.

“We have a whole schedule of legislation that awaits enactment. We also have enough pieces of legislation that need to be reviewed so as to bring them into conformity with the Constitution,” he said.