Executive blamed for delayed Bills

The Executive is yet to petition the Speaker to recall Parliament despite the number of crucial Bills pending.

Consequently, Speaker Kenneth Marende told  MPs that Parliament would most likely resume in March.

It had been expected that the Executive would petition the Speaker to recall Parliament early to pass critical laws on devolution and land that must be enacted by February 27.

Mr Marende, who was closing a workshop for MPs on proposed Bills on land in Mombasa, challenged the Executive to meet the set deadlines.

“The Executive must pull up its socks and make implementation of the Constitution a priority,” he said.

There are four pieces of legislation that need to be enacted before the February deadline.

The Bills would have to be published before the end of January if they are to be ready for parliamentary debate and possible approval by the February 26 deadline for their enactment.

The Cabinet has since approved the Transition to Devolved Government Bill, the Inter-Governmental Relations Bill and the County Governments Bill.

The Bills that should be ready by then touch on devolution, removal of the powerful county governors, and vacation of office of the members of the county assembly and laws to provide for the devolution of funds to county governments.

Also in the pending tray are Bills that will determine how land issues are dealt with under the new set of laws.

Given the sensitivities around the land question, this Bill would require the debate and participation of the public in their preparation and eventual debate and approval.

Delay in the publication of the Bills would result in a rush similar to that in August 2011. Then, Parliament sat for long, with the attendant risk of passing laws that have errors.