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Kenya

MPs want key public jobs advertised

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 9 – Members of Parliament now want all appointments to institutions created under the new Constitution conducted through competitive recruitment.

At the conclusion of a two-day retreat on the implementation of the new Constitution, the MPs said that all positions including those that are to be appointed by the Executive and political parties must be advertised in line with the spirit of public participation.

“Our idea was on how to make that process legitimate, transparent and open to the public,” said the Chairman of the Parliamentary Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee Abdikadir Mohamed.

He said appointments to the Commission for Revenue Allocations which political parties have been given powers to nominate members would be done this way.

“What we did not want are political parties to sit down in a dark room and agree on some names,” he said.

President Mwai Kibaki is mandated to nominate the chairman while his Party of National Unity will nominate three commissioners while the Orange Democratic Movement picks the remaining four.

Two weeks ago President Kibaki invited applications to the Commission on the Implementation of the new Constitution. The Constitution has mandated the President to appoint the eight commissioners in consultation with the Prime Minister.

During the retreat, the proposal to combine the establishment of constitutional commissions by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo was also unanimously adopted.

The ‘omnibus’ Bill will fast track the establishment of the commissions. These include that on revenue allocation, Kenya Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

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“I am proud this has been adopted. I am happy with the process so far,” Mr Kilonzo said.

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said that the funds approved by the Cabinet for the implementation process would be released early next year. Mr Kenyatta told the retreat that the Sh3.4 billion would be factored during the Supplementary Budget which is to be tabled in the House in March.

The funds are necessary to support the establishment of the various commissions.

New commissions to be established by the end of this month are the Commission for Revenue Allocation and the Commission for the Implementation of the new Constitution.

“We need to appreciate that the government operates within certain budgetary constraints,” said the Minister in his presentation.

Mr Kenyatta said a further Sh5 billion would be allocated to the process in the next financial budget.

He pledged the government’s commitment to the implementation of the new law as it will spur development and economic growth in the country.
 

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