Two crucial Bills go to Parliament

Two crucial Bills are lined up for debate this week as MPs embark on enacting laws to bring into force radical changes contained in the new Constitution.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Bill and Salaries and Remuneration Commission Bill, which were approved by the Cabinet last week, will be placed before the House Business Committee in the evening on Tuesday for balloting.

On Monday, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo urged MPs to stop holding political rallies and focus on implementation of the new set of laws.

‘‘I would like to advise politicians running around to cancel those rallies. God listens to one prayer, he does not need a million prayers,” he said.

Added Mr Kilonzo: “If it were up to me, we would cancel things, shut those rallies and redirect the energies to passing the Bills to implement the Constitution.”

The Justice minister said he would seek to reduce the maturity period of the Bills to the minimum to ensure they were speedily debated and passed.

The two are among 10 crucial Bills that President Kibaki placed before Parliament two weeks ago as Parliament resumed its sittings with a heavy reform agenda.

The President urged MPs to speed up the passage of the Bills to ensure that the new Constitution is fully in force by 2012.

Other proposed laws include the Independent Commissions Bill; Commission on Revenue Allocation Bill; The Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill; The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill; The Public Service Commission Bill; The National Land Commission Bill; The Commission on Administrative of Justice Bill; and the National Police Service Commission Bill.

There has been concern that MPs have slowed the pace of implementing the new Constitution and turned their eyes on political campaigns.

Parliament’s Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee has accused the government of dragging its feet in the implementation of the new set of laws.

“The energy with which the Constitution was passed has waned,” committee chairman Abdikadir Mohamed said last week.

The IEBC Bill seeks to bring into force a new electoral commission that will supervise future elections and demarcation of boundaries. The nine-member IEBC will replace the Interim Independent Electoral Commission whose term ends in two months.

In radical shift from the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya, the Bill proposes a body made up of nine commissioners who will play a non-executive oversight role. Only the chairman and vice-chairperson will serve on full-time basis while others will be engaged on part-time terms.

Terms of pay

A professional secretariat, headed by a chief executive officer, will run the commission.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission Bill seeks to establish a commission, under the Finance ministry, to decide the terms of pay for all State and public officials at national and county levels.

The Salaries Commission will draw membership from the National Defence Council, the Kenya Police Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission and the Teachers Service Commission.