President Kibaki chairs a past Cabinet meeting/ PPS file
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – President Mwai Kibaki was on Tuesday chairing a Cabinet meeting at State House Nairobi amid pressure on the passage of 17 pending Bills ahead of the August 27 deadline.
The Cabinet also met when expectations were ripe on the succession of Attorney General Amos Wako and appointment to the new post of Inspector General of Police.
The Ministers have their plates full with pressure mounting on the implementation of the constitution promulgated on August 27. Despite the new law, politics has been cited as the main contention derailing implementation of the Constitution.
Last week, the Cabinet approved four Bills crucial to the implementation of the Constitution.
Three of the Bills related to major reforms in the regular and administration police while one Bill seeks to establish a new labour court.
There has been a row between the Cabinet and other institutions of government on the delay of passage of key legislations with MPs blaming the government.
On the other hand MPs risk vacating their seats if they don’t beat the deadline.
According to new Constitution, Parliament is required to have enacted several Bills by August 27, although it has the authority to extend the timeline.
On Monday, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga met at Harambee House and agreed that the Ministries of Finance and Local Government should harmonise their proposals on funding of country governments.
The two leaders agreed during the meeting held to resolve a stand off over the funding of upcoming County governments.
This followed presentation of two different draft Bills by the Treasury and Local Government Ministry respectively.
The Task Force on Devolved Government chaired by Mutakha Kangu has proposed that resources be shared equitably at the devolved government level.
Treasury however argues that the national and county governments should share only money collected from taxation.
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