Politics
Blame game over failed review talks
Prime Minister Raila Odinga holds a copy during the launch of the draft Constitution in November 2009 as Committee of Experts chairman Nzamba Kitonga looks on. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE
Posted Thursday, March 11 2010 at 22:30
An attempt by a section of MPs to accuse the government of sabotaging the Naivasha constitutional talks was tossed back to their faces.
The Executive reminded them that they were the same ones who had voted against the forum. A day after they voted against an adjournment to pave the way for the talks scheduled to start on Thursday, some MPs turned around to accuse the government of sabotaging the same forum.
But Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Government Chief Whip George Thuo told them squarely that they had refused and blocked the House from proceeding to the meeting.
The blame game played out in the House as the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Patrick Gichohi, sent a team of four officers, led by the principal accounts controller, to Naivasha to negotiate the cancellation with hotels where reservations had been made.
The team was also to authenticate the exact amount to be paid. The Nation confirmed that 48 MPs, including an advance team of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the law review, had already checked in at the hotels to prepare for the session.
The advance team returned on Thursday morning after the unexpected turn of events. The Nation also confirmed that Parliament had reserved only 150 rooms against a total of 222 MPs, which it was forced to cancel after developments in the House on Wednesday evening.
The Clerk’s office revealed that the provisional bill for the entire forum had been placed at Sh4 million. The parliamentary finance team was to check payments for the 48 MPs who had already reported at the hotels.
The team was then expected to urgently submit a report to the Parliamentary Service Commission, which manages the affairs of the House.
The Naivasha forum was meant to enable MPs to familiarise themselves with the contents of the draft constitution before it comes to the House floor for debate. It had been scheduled to start on Thursday by the House Business Committee.
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Submitted by KharatasiPosted March 12, 2010 08:27 PM
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Submitted by Tankman
The draft is good the way its except that the section on abortion needs changing.Otherwise everything else is spot on.Inddeed we need to recall non performing MPS and counties need not be increased.Let's pass a constitution to benefit all Kenyans.
Posted March 12, 2010 05:31 PM -
Submitted by krugutt
No draft constitution has seen the light of the day as long as one the stations it passed through was Naivasha! All the previous drafts were taken to Naivasha and that was the beginning of their. HDC will face the same fate. The differences that have already emerged in parliament are glaring and I don’t see how any group (PNU or ODM) will garner 2/3 support to have it passed. Already, most wanainchi are very uncomfortable with changes PSC made in Naivasha.The-closest-to-what-wanainchi-wanted-to-see-in-a-new-constitution-was-the-Bomas-draft-and-HDC-is-not-even-near-that! The two principals should focus on reconciling the country before-moving-to-the-next-most-contentious-issue-of-land-reforms.
Posted March 12, 2010 10:29 AM -
Submitted by Alimama
@Jokaseda, does it mean that you have consulted all Kenyans in USA? It's clear that some guys are sabotaging this document and pretending that they support it in public.
Posted March 12, 2010 09:18 AM -
Submitted by gumo
MPs are threatened by the recall clause. This is one section that MUST NOT be changed. Wananchi need legal systems to hold their MP accountable. Joy-riding for 5 years MUST be brought to an end.
Posted March 12, 2010 08:47 AM
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Benefits of foreign trip cancellations have not been realized. They still did not attend, in order to vote