NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 23 – Parliament may reconvene as early as January to enact necessary legislation that will see the Waki Report implemented.
National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende said on Tuesday that Members of Parliament (MPs) were prepared to comeback from recess to pass laws that will see the Special Tribunal advocated for in the report established.
“We are ready to make that sacrifice for the country but as you know control of the Parliamentary calendar is still under the prerogative of the President,” he said.
Parliament adjourned last week sine die (indefinitely) but was expected to resume sittings in March.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review had on Monday called on the President to recall Parliament by February. Chairman Abdikadir Mohammed said MPs need to come back to approve some of the appointments committee will have made for the Interim Independent Electoral Commission.
Mr Marende spoke at Parliament Buildings were he presented a cheque of Sh10.6 million to Special Programmes Minister Naomi Shaban. The money is a contribution by legislators to assist Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) during the Christmas holidays.
Legislators agreed to donate Sh50, 000 each to the course at an informal meeting (kamukunji) in September. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta also donated his December salary to the internal refugees.
“We want our brothers and sisters living in the squalid conditions to have a Christmas and new year that is perhaps a little better than what they are having to live under,” the Speaker said.
Receiving the cheque Dr Shaban said the amount would be immediately utilised but appealed to the legislators to contribute more.
She stated that a three-member Parliamentary subcommittee would decide how the money would be spent but promised that it would be used for its intended purpose.
“We are not distributing the money but will decide what material to buy. If the sub committee agrees we buy food or blankets that is what will be done.”
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