Cheserem, Nyachae to head key reform teams

President Kibaki on Wednesday named the chairmen of two crucial commissions in the enforcement of the new Constitution.

Mr Charles Nyachae, a lawyer, will lead the Constitution Implementation Commission while former Central Bank governor Micah Cheserem will head the Revenue Allocation Commission.

A Presidential Press Service statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday night said the appointments had been done in consultation with Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Mr Odinga’s spokesman, Mr Dennis Onyango, confirmed the list was agreed on at a meeting between Mr Odinga and President Kibaki.

The positions had been hotly-contested and some reports on Wednesday evening suggested that the two principals had failed to agree who between Prof Kivutha Kibwana — an advisor of the President — and Mr Mutakha Kangu — an advisor of Mr Odinga — should chair the implementation commission.

In the end, it seems the two chose to go for a neutral person in Mr Nyachae.

Other commissioners in the team will be Prof Peter Wanyande, Dr Ibrahim M. Ali, Dr Elizabeth Muli, Dr Florence Omosa and Ms Catherine Muma, a former commissioner of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

Others are Mr Kamotho Waiganjo, a lawyer, Mr Philemon Mwaisaka a former PS and Mr Kibaya Imaana Laibuta.

The names of the commissioners will be submitted on Thursday to the parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs.

The committee, chaired by Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, will vet the names, prepare a report and present them to the House for approval in the afternoon.

Seven nominees for the position of members to the Revenue Allocation Commission were vetted on Wednesday afternoon by the Committee on Finance chaired by Nambale MP Chris Okemo and are awaiting Parliament’s approval.

Sources in the committee said they had reservations about one nominee, Ms Amina Ahmed. Her fate will be decided on the floor of the House on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Mr Namwamba’s committee had announced that it would sit late into the night to vet the proposed members of implementation commission, in order to beat the deadline.

They had expected the names for the bosses of the two commissions to be submitted to them on Wednesday.

However, by the time of going to the press, the MPs had not received the names.