NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenya on Tuesday ruled out having a new constitution within a year, contrary to its pledge when a new coalition government came into power after deadly post-election violence.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua said it was impossible to have a new charter within the time-frame although President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the pledge to Kenyans.
Lawmakers on March 18 passed into law the constitution of Kenya (amendment) bill, technically starting a countdown to the day the country will have re-written its constitution for the first time since independence in 1963.
“It is not practical to have a constitution within 12 months since the period of 12 months was supposed to run from the time the accord was passed,” Karua told parliament, referring a broader power-sharing accord.
Karua added that a constitutional referendum would take place after next year’s annual budget in June when it is allocating new funds.
Kibaki and Odinga repeated the pledge when they swore in their coalition cabinet on April 13, raising Kenyans’ hopes after waiting for nearly two decades.
A previous attempt to change the basic law failed in a 2005 referendum.
The current constitution, which fails to address political and economic disparities, was part of sticking points that fuelled Kenya’s post-election violence.
Odinga’s claims that Kibaki committed electoral fraud in the December 27 elections sparked an unprecedented cycle of protests, police raids, tribal clashes and revenge killings that left at least 1,500 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Kenyans have long complained that the independence constitution is giving sweeping powers to the president.
Courtesy of:http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080624/world/kenya_politics_constitution
3 users commented in " Kenya rules out adopting new constitution within a year "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackWith Karua and her group,Kenya should not expect new constitution at all. Kenyans will be
taken for aride until the year2012. The last thing Mt. kenya Mafia want is new constitution
new constitution.They will start behaving the same way they did from 2003 to 2007.
Kenyans should wake up and demand their rights.
They should allow these greedy people to take them around once more.It was already known that new constitution was not their piority since no man was allocated for it during the budget.Yet ,even Mps were convinced with shallow explanation from Kimunya that money will be got from Consolidated Fund.
I wonder want Kimunya made by Consolidated Fund.Because all the government money,a part from Foreign fund,is kept in Central Bank as consolidated fund.
It now known that Kimunya was taking fellow mps for a ride.Mt. kenya mafia is taking kenyans as fools.ODM should not buy Karua’s explanation of the issue.Kenyans are suppose not to be taken for granted once again.Karua should know that her funny behavior is what brought problems in the country.If not checked ,Karue will be the cause of kenya destruction. She seems to be politically blind and that is dangerous to the nation.
Folks,
Hon Martha Karua should be suspected to be facilitating undercover criminal enterprise, she is scared to face consequences of dissapearances of the Amnesty Youth from the jails.
She must therefore, be told in plain unified mwanainchi voice of Kenyan Community (asiambukize kidonda bado lina uma lina uchungu).
Kibaki and Raila is saying the Constitution will be ready in a years time, and Martha is
saying no. Mbai was killed because of the same constitution, he did when he already
completed the drawing of the constitution, the referundum was witnessed before election with the majority endorsing the same constitution draft.
The constitution is ready, it does not need another referundum. These are delaying
tactics. Who does she think she is? Kenya is bigger than her, Kenyans dont want
to witness another blood bath.
With all the blessed eyes she has she does not need stethoscope to see expectations of the future the Kenya Mwanainchi want.
She is only seing ghosts. Pray for her people. Her statements shows she cares the least
for human lives.
She says the Constitution be shelved until supplimentary amendments in July next year, when in actual sense she knows without a pinch of doubt, the constitution is an issue of Serious National Concern. Who is she fooling?
She is a stambling block trying to “Counter the Revolution of peoples Power”. She is a “threat to Kenyas Social Stability to Justice, Human Rights and Good Governance”.
Kenyans Citizen have Power and a strong voice in this 10th Parliament business undertakings because it belongs to the “People” so people in the likes of Martha should not be left to continue extending a “Repressive Agenda” through coercive illegal means - and that is why she is delaying the “constitution”.
Tell her and speak-up people. Tell and complain the Rt. PM Raila, is her boss. He should make a ruling over her statement. He has the powers now to make a firm decision with Kibaki. What they say is final.
Wanainch,
This is ugly nonsense. It is not even one-year away from electro violence. The same karua legitimized an illegal installation of the stolen leadership.
Again she has started, a political bumper sticker that shares the bunker mentality of entitlement of Agikuyu’s.
Such news is bad news for everyone, including the parties in power. This Karua is for bad things for a free Kenya, she fear radical changes through ODM.
Karua, whatever you do, don’t ruin the peace of Kenyans. Her thinking shows how she is nothing if not a country political peace from Raila and ODM.
Kenyans should know that karua and kimunya have made a mistake of a political rube. What consolidated funds are they talking of when the government is operating its functions on an overdraft.
Such political fumbling caused uncalled violence sponsored by the same people who does not want anew way of leadership and better governance.
What is certain is that Karua illegal victory at the bay of pigs (Mt.Kenya mafias) further entrenched the Agikuyu revolution, and strengthened her resolve against majority poor Kenyans, she will never succeed this time we are keenly watching her political cards, Whether in PNU or Narc Kenya.
Ms.Karua, regionalism still dominates new Kenya, the numbers emerging from last years electro violence only reaffirm that reality.
This turn of events is being heralded as an awakening in Kenyan political consciouness. This is the first time Kenyans voted a government out of politics. She does not understand this reality.
In fact, the wide-sweeping rejections of MOI, KIBAKI and the referendum seem to be a rare moment of unity for Kenyans. The question is Karua; will it be a win for you again not to give and release people’s constitution based on BOMAS of Kenya draft next year?
Khaguli Nandwa Maurice
Western Kenya, Movement for Change.
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