CJ to swear in members of CRA, CIC commissions

By Wahome Thuku

Implementation of the new Constitution is expected to get on course when Chief Justice Evan Gicheru swears in members of key constitutional commissions this morning.

Gicheru is expected to swear in members of the Commission for the Implementation of the Commission (CIC), Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) and Judicial Service Commission (JSR).

This will be the culmination of a gruelling scrutiny that characterised the three-tier appointment of the commissioners by President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Parliament.

It will also be one of the final official functions for the Chief Justice who is expected to vacate the office by January 27. He will have the option of retiring from the judiciary or continue serving as Appeal Court judge.

The nine members of the CRA are Micah Cheserem (Chairman) Raphael Munavu, J. H. Kimura, Wafula S. Masai, Meshack Onyango, Rose Bosibori Osoro, Fatuma Abdulkadir, Amina Ahmed. The CIC members are Charles Nyachae (Chairman), Prof Peter Wanyande, Mr Ibrahim M. Ali, Ms Elizabeth Muli, Ms Florence Omosa, Ms Catherine Mumma, Mr Kamotho Waiganjo, Mr Philemon Mwaisaka, Mr Kibaya Imaana Laibuta.

Approve names

The two commissioners were supposed to be in place by end of November last year but Parliament failed to approve the names due to political differences among the MPs.

Only two members of the JSC Justice Isaac Lenaola and Nairobi magistrate Emily Ominde were gazetted on October 26. President Kibaki gazetted all the other members of the three commissions in a special edition of Friday last week. The names were adopted just before Parliament broke for Christmas.