MPs' full focus vital in laws implementation

The retreat organised by the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee for Members of Parliament, which starts tomorrow, is a very important session for the legislators because it would set the ball rolling in the new Constitution implementation process. This retreat is meant to appraise MPs on critical legislations that need to be tabled in the House to make the new laws operational.

We laud this move by the committee chaired by Mohammed Abdikadir as it moves fast to ensure that MPs understand their role and the role of the committee as the country operationalises the new Constitution by putting in place the requisite laws.

Parliament is required to pass at least 49 legislations for the new laws to function effectively. COIC is tasked with monitoring, facilitating and overseeing the development of the legislation and administrative procedures required to implement the Constitution.

The vetting of individuals to serve in the judicial service commission started in earnest and other bills need to be enacted fast given that Parliament will be working under very tight schedules.

It is thus important that the committee charged with the role of prioritising legislation, overseeing its drafting and ensuring timelines are met is on the same page with the MPs who will be scrutinising the Bills on the floor of the House before passing them.

It would be important that the legislators keep themselves well informed on the Constitution itself so that in passing various legislations, they stay true to the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

Though the implementation of the Constitution initially experienced teething problems with the Executive going ahead to draft Bills through the various ministries, threatening a standoff with Parliament, it is impressive that the differences were ironed out.

The Tenth Parliament has been granted the honour to not only midwife the new Constitution but also to lay the launch pad for the Second Republic. It should neither falter nor be distracted.

This awesome responsibility calls for focus on MPs despite the tricky times they are operating in. The next General Election is only 20 months away and if the legislators do not take seriously the task ahead of them they may be tempted to overlook this critical mandate as they position themselves and their parties for the polls.

Currently several House committees are busy playing their oversight roles, especially in probing matters that have been brought before them. We appeal to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to take decisive steps in dealing with members of the Cabinet implicated with corruption.

In the last two weeks, MPs have been busy investigating members of the Cabinet leaving little time for other important business of the House which could have been handled within the Executive. If there is an allegation on corruption against a Cabinet minister, the Executive has the capacity and power to investigate and suspend the minister without waiting for Parliament to probe.

So far the House Business Committee has introduced two crucial Bills in the House — The Judicial Service Bill and the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill.

According to the timelines set by the Committee of Experts, the Commission of the Implementation of the Constitution needs to be put in place by November 27. This commission is critical as the country entrenches the new laws.

It is indeed a critical time for Kenya in the actualisation of the new laws as envisaged in the new Constitution. MPs must put the interests of the country first and ensure that the forces of impunity to not delay or derail the implementation.

We will expect debates on the Bills to be vibrant, informed and passionate. However, the country expects the legislators to exhibit unity of purpose even as they express divergent views on various issues. They have the opportunity to let the Tenth Parliament go down in history as the House that put partisan interests aside and passed so many Bills in record time to operationalise the new Constitution.