Cries have been rife on the pace of reforms and the slow pace of the implementation process. Parliamentary committees are entitled to these responsibilities but of late, politicians are at it again. Destruction, and hoodwink.
Although the ODM secretary, -one Mr. Nyong’o has dismissed his earlier order of the pulling its members out of the constitution implementation committees, there is a lot in my opinion concerning his earlier move.
From the two party heads, we see some brewing differences when the PNU affiliate members say that they can proceed without the participation of the ODM partners. The ODM head on the other hand says that the coalition partner is seeking the total control of the committees as a kind of scheme to man the implementation process.
When all this is happening, we are at a time when the parliamentarians are supposed to be debating on the important bills that are seen to be of more importance to see the full operation of the new constitution.
The house seems to be so proud of the two bills it passed about five months ago and seemingly, there has been very little effort being put in to ensure additional bills are passed. Since Parliament re-opened last month, little has been put forward for debate on the implementation of the important bills that will ensure the implementation of the new constitution.
They seem to be mostly concerned with building their popularity and fame instead of doing their duty assigned to them by the electorate. Parliament has thus not been in a position to pass any critical bills since then.
In the recent past, it has been normal seeing the MPs at political rallies trying to display their popularity and political powerhouses instead of showing their capability by intensive debating on key reform agenda in parliament.
Kenya having come from the devastating civil strife of 2007-’08 badly needs reforms and parliament committees are entitled to that. It is the high time that the MPs have to think over their action and political division since they are acting for the country on behalf f the electorate and neither for themselves nor their political parties.
The MPs and Party leaders should consider the fact that the committee membership is not a party issue but a country’s duty. The individual members should put aside party politics and act individually as a duty assigned to them by the country.
They, in the committees should try to understand the urgency of these bills and burn the midnight oil to ensuring they beat time in the implementation process because the electorate is observing and will judge them by their actions and commitments to the same.
It is my opinion that the implementation process should not be a wrangle and a tag of war on which party won the election or which party members are stronger than others.
It should instead be a platform for the establishment of a concrete spirit of nationalism and commitment to the implementation of the new constitution. The members should work as a team and not as two different party unions.
Focus is not only set on the passing and implementation of the constitution and passing of the new bills but they still score dismally in other reform agenda including agenda four. If this stalemate persists and is carried on the next general election, I presume we are waiting on a time-bomb that is waiting to blow up after the next elections.
It is my sincere call to all the MPs to fast track the reform agenda and free us from these speculation and worry on the effectiveness of the current constitution implementation committees and the political class.
Kenyans are trust that the leaders will at some point get on track and see the important bills through and the full implementation of the constitution. They should put aside the 2012 politics as that is of less importance to the electorate because we shall at the end of it all judge them in terms of their performance and this is the time to put a clean sheet beforehand.
Since we cannot hold on to petty politics, I appreciate the Prime minister move of stepping in to end the stalemate and power wrangles in the relevant committees. There stalemates if not countered now will soon blow up into a futile political battle that may be a hindrance to the implementation process.
The president and the speaker should also talk to the committee leader on the way they run and make them independent from any party wrangles so that they can run in without fear.
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