Members of two commissions to be known Tuesday

Impeccable sources close to the interviewing panel disclosed that Ms Omamo (left) and Dr Kuria (right) were among most likely candidates to be referred to the two principals for selection to chair the COIC.

What you need to know:

  • Teams will spearhead implementation of the new constitution and allocation of revenue

The names of those likely to sit on two powerful commissions that will help implement the new Constitution are set to be released on Tuesday.

The Executive and Parliament, the two institutions charged with picking members of the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution and the Revenue Allocation Commission, are racing against time as the two bodies must be constituted this week.

“They (Public Service Commission) must give us the names tomorrow (Tuesday), we have no choice because we must have them in place immediately,” Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo said on Monday.

The new Constitution says the commission on the implementation of the constitution should be in place by Saturday, November 27 while that of Revenue Allocation must be in place by Thursday, November 25.

The Commission for Revenue Allocation will on the other hand oversee the equitable sharing of revenue raised by the national government between the national and county governments on one hand and among the county governments on the other.

The PSC, which spent the weekend interviewing dozens of candidates shortlisted to sit on the two commissions, must release the list of nominees to be sent to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the earliest opportunity.

According to Mr Kilonzo, PSC ought to forward to the two principals the names of the three nominees it has shortlisted for the post of COIC chairperson and at least 18 nominees for the positions of commissioners.

From the list, the two principals will settle on one nominee for the position of chairperson and eight for positions of commissioners.

They will then forward the names to Parliament for approval, even though MPs retain the right to reject one or many of the nominees.

The eight candidates who were short-listed to chair COIC include ambassador to Belgium Kembi Gitura, former Cabinet minister Prof Kivutha Kibwana, veteran lawyer Gibson Kamau Kuria and Ms Raychelle Omamo, a former ambassador to France and chair of the Law Society of Kenya.

Others are law lecturer Mutakha Kangu, reform campaigner Koki Muli and lawyers Charles Nyachae and Mwangi Kariuki.

A team comprising officers from PSC and various government departments have also interviewed 50 candidates shortlisted to become COIC commissioners and those picked to chair the Revenue Allocation Commission.

Impeccable sources close to the interviewing panel disclosed that Ms Omamo, Prof Kibwana and Dr Kuria were three most likely candidates to be referred to the two principals for selection to chair the COIC.