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Cheap Party Politics scatter
serious talks on Forest Law
Index of this compilation
We'll block more Bills, say
LDP and Kanu
MPs acting out of order
Forest Bill: How they voted
Factional
bickering within NARC is hurting the country
Forest Bill defeated in
House
Story by MURIITHI MURIUKI and NJERI RUGENE
Publication Date: 06/03/2004
The conflict between the main affiliates of the National Rainbow
Coalition –LDP and NAK- took a new face yesterday when Liberal
Democratic Party back-benchers and some Ford Kenya MPs joined
hands with the opposition Kanu to reject a Government Bill.
The Narc back-benchers who voted against the Forests Bill 2004
were understood to have done so to protest recent statements by
some Cabinet ministers allied to NAK which the LDP saw as an
onslaught against their party.
They were also protesting recent removal of some councillors
allied to LDP by Local Government minister Karisa Maitha, and his
latest calls to carry out a Narc recruitment drive for individual
members.
LDP MPs were also protest against Cabinet minister Chris
Murungaru's dismissal of LDP's agitation for the contentious
memorundum of understanding.
"We wanted to show our outrage against recent reckless
statements made by ministers and the onslaught against LDP
spearheaded by Mr Murungaru, Maitha and Charity Ngilu,'' said LDP
vice-chairman Joe Khamisi after the motion was thrown out.
"We are sending a political message to the Government that we
want it to respect the spirit of the Coalition and for the
President to also tame his ministers who have been hatching plots
against the LDP", the Bahari MP added.
The MPs were angry that some NAK ministers had reignited the
party's recruitment drive even before a committee was charged with
that responsibility had announced its recommendations, said Mr
Khamisi.
"The Bill was okay. What was wrong could have been amended at
the committee stage, but we wanted to send a message and "to
show who is incharge," said a Kanu MP who did not want to be
named.
Other Government business lined up between now and the Budget will
meet the same fate, Mr Khamisi said.
In Parliament, Vice President Moody Awori–leader of Government
Business, watched in silence as humiliating defeat as excited MPs
swore to "teach it a lesson'' and threw out the Forests Bill,
tabled by Environment minister Newton Kulundu.
Consequently, the Bill, to provide for the establishment,
development and sustainable management, including conservation and
rational utilisation of forest resources, can only come back to
the House for debate after six months.
The Government which appeared to have anticipated the situation
had a heavy presence.
We'll block more Bills, say
LDP and Kanu
Story by NATION Team
Publication Date: 06/04/2004
A makeshift alliance of Opposition MPs and the Liberal Democratic
Party – part of the ruling Narc coalition – will continue to
block all future attempts by the Government to pass new laws until
it agrees not to take MPs for granted.
Kanu chief whip Justin Muturi yesterday described the alliance's
decision to stop the Forest Bill in its tracks as a wake up call,
and accused the Government of trying to bulldoze its legislation
through Parliament.
It was ignoring the views of MPs from all sides of the House, he
said.
The Government suffered a humiliating defeat in Parliament on
Wednesday after its own backbenchers teamed up with the Opposition
to defeat the Bill, aimed at managing forests better. It cannot
now be debated for at least six months.
And Narc politics seemed to have taken centre stage after a
cross-section of MPs later conceded outside Parliament that there
was nothing wrong with the Bill, even though they had voted it
down.
The MPs said they only wanted to send a message to the Government
that they should not be taken for granted.
Mr Muturi, MP for Siakago said the Bill's defeat was, however, the
beginning of things to come.
"The Government is not serious and we have decided to assert
ourselves as the people," he said.
He confirmed it was a deliberate decision to block the new law but
denied it was part of a wider plot with the LDP and Ford People to
bring down the Government.
"What we are doing is not sabotaging the Government, but just
flexing our muscles. What happened to the Forest Bill was not a
one off incident. The Government must be ready to face more
humiliation unless it wakes up and stops taking MPs for granted,"
he said.
Mr Muturi cited disharmony and lack of proper coordination by the
Narc administration as one of their major grievances.
Narc's MP for Molo, Mr Macharia Mukiri, while blaming Kanu for
igniting wrangles within Narc – and criticising the LDP for
attempting to derail a Government of which they were members –
asked President Kibaki to intervene and look afresh at the
pre-election Memorandum of Understanding.
The MoU set out the various roles each party and its members might
play in a new coalition government.
"We have wasted a lot of time since elections with wrangles
arising from the MoU. It has caused a constitutional impasse while
the economy is not going the way Narc had initially wanted,'' said
Mr Mukiri.
He suggested the MoU be renegotiated to avoid the Government being
paralysed
But he blamed Kanu for the impasse in Parliament, saying it was an
attempt by the former ruling party to derail the Government's
fight against corruption.
"The people who were instrumental in whipping MPs to vote
against the Bill were Kanu hardliners some of whom are implicated
in corruption,'' he said.
Bomet MP Nick Salat said Kanu was concerned by inconsistency in
the Government, particularly on the Constitution review.
He admitted Kanu's protest and that of the LDP was not a
coincidence and added that the ''sabotage in Parliament will
continue until the Government puts its act together".
Nominated MP Mutula Kilonzo asked President Kibaki to intervene,
saying MPs were reacting to a deliberate failure by the Government
to follow the law over the review.
"The Government has shown that one can ignore the legal
process and get away with it,'' Mr Kilonzo said, adding that the
MPs' action, "is purely a tip of the iceberg.''
Mr Kilonzo supported rejection of the Forests Bill, saying the
Bomas draft had better and more elaborate legal provisions than
those provided for in the Bill.
"If the Government was really serious, it would ensure that
the draft Constitution is enacted because it has a better
machinery for helping in protection of forests,'' he said.
The proposed law was interfering with trust lands, he argued.
Mumias MP Wycliffe Osundwa (Narc) commented: "There was
nothing wrong with the Bill. In fact, most of the MPs who voted
against it had earlier supported it."
He continued: "We wanted to show the Government who is in
charge. It must start cultivating goodwill if it expects the same
from MPs."
Mr Osundwa said the MPs were protesting against the "arrogance
and conceit" of certain Government ministers and accused the
President of having failed to tame them.
MPs acting out of order
Story by
Publication Date: 06/05/2004
The quest for political supremacy is taking a dangerous trend if
what happened in Parliament in the past two weeks is anything to
go by. Only the other day, backbenchers rejected a Government's
motion that sought to adjourn sittings till Budget to protest at
the delay in disbursing constituency development funds.
This week, the members flexed their muscles yet again and threw
out the Forest Bill, which, paradoxically, they had earlier
cleared in the preliminary stages. Reason: they wanted to teach
the Government a lesson.
When voters sent in their representatives to the august House,
their mandate was to serve the interest of the people. The voters
expected that the MPs would be debating matters of national, not
sectarian, interests.
What we now see is nothing more than a child's play. It is
unfortunate when the MPs confess that they have no reason to
reject Government Bills or motions other than to show their might.
We thought the MPs were above such petty showiness; that they
would differ in principle but on motions or Bills that served the
greater good, they would join hands.
This chest-thumping business must stop. MPs cannot hold the
country at ransom because of some inter and intra-party politics.
Even so, barbs also go to Cabinet ministers who have taken to
speaking at, and not with, the people. There is an alarming level
of recklessness among some ministers, who besides abusing their
Cabinet colleagues in public, are fond of giving edicts
reminiscent of the days of single party.
They have failed to respect the basic principle of collective
responsibility and most importantly, they have not understood that
being called upon to serve in the Cabinet is such a privilege that
demands from one a high sense of respectability.
The long and short of all this is that our leaders are sliding
fast in the path of anarchy. They are failing to provide
leadership and instead exposing themselves as incapable of
reasoning and sorting out differences in a more dignified way.
We exhort all of them to reflect on their actions and desist from
activities that put the future of the country in jeopardy.
Forest Bill: How they voted
Story by
Publication Date: 06/05/2004
AYES:
Messrs. Abdiraham Hassan, Moody Awori, Wakoli Bifwoli, Morris
Dzoro, Kyalo Kaindi, Ms Martha Karua. Messrs. Mutua Katuku,
Kembi-Getura, Prof Kivutha Kibwana, Mrs.Linah Kilimo. Mrs Jayne
Kihara Messrs. Viscount Kimathi, Amos Kimunya, Kingi kaindi Mwangi
Kiunjuri, Koech John . Dr Newton Kulundu, Mr Andrew Ligale, Prof
Wangari. Maathai, Messrs Karisa Maitha Maora Maore, Ms Cecily
Mbarire, Messrs Elias Mbau, John Michuki, Petkay Miriti, Mohamed
H.Maalim, Mohamed A.Chiaba
Gachara Muchiri, Mrs. Beth Mugo, Messrs. Patrick Muiruri, Danson
Mungatana, Peter Munya, Joseph Munyao, John Munyes, Dr Chris
Murungaru Messrs. Kiraitu Murungi, Chirau Mwakwere, Mrs Adelina
Mwau, Messrs David Mwiraria , Davies Nakitare, Messrs Kalembe
Ndile, Peter Ndwiga, Mrs Charity Ngilu, Messrs William ole Ntimama,
Nyagah Norman, Dr. Julia 0jiambo, Messrs Joshua Ojode, Raila
Odinga, John Serut, Shaaban Ali Isaak , Adan Sugow, Messrs.
Zaddock Syongoh, Stephen Tarus, Mrs Betty Tett, Messrs Ali Wario,
Dr. Noah Wekesa and Mr David Were.
NOTES:
Dr Abdullahi Ali, Ms Amina Abdalla, Messrs Abdul Bahari, Franklin
Bett, Nicholas Biwott, Boit, Lucas Chepkitony, Jim Choge,
Abdullahi Dahir, Dr Bonaya Godana, Messrs Haji Yusuf , Otieno
Kajwang, Uhuru Kenyatta, Charles Keter, Dr Bonny Khalwale, Messrs
Khamisi, Kilonzo M.C., Kilonzo J.K., Kipchurnba, Koech S.C., Kombe,
Kosgey, Maj Marsden Madoka, Messrs. Lucas Maitha , Dr Hezron
Manduku, Prof Christine Mango, Messrs Stephen Manoti, Godfrey
Masanya, Jakoyo Midiwo, Mohamed M.A., Samuel Justin Muturi,
Mwanzia, Gideon Ndambuki, Reuben Ndolo, Stephen Ntutu, Eric
Nyamunga, Dr Oburu Odinga , Messrs Ochola Ogur, Chris Okemo, Prof
Ayiecko Olweny, Messrs Odhiambo Ornamba, Mwancha Okioma, Ken.
Nyagudi, Messrs, William Omondi, Archibishop Stephen Ondiek,
Messrs Joel Onyancha, Osundwa Wycliffe, Peter Owidi, Owino Likowa,
samuel Poghisio, Nick Salat, John Sambu, William Ruto, Paul Sang,
Abdi Tari Sasura, Musa Sirma, Soita Shitanda, Too, Koigi wa
Wamwere and Arthur Weya.
Sources: NATION MEDIA
Factional
bickering within NARC is hurting the country
Statement of the Kenyan
Community Abroad
Released: Tuesday, June 08,
2004
There is no doubt in our minds as Kenyans that the factional
discord within the ruling NARC coalition has reached its acme,
unfortunately at the expense of the entire country's well-being.
We have noted with great consternation the priority this
Parliament, the Government and the opposition have placed on
factional politicking at the expense of all else. The constant
tag-of-war, especially between the NAK and LDP factions of the
ruling coalition, is draining on the Government and the country,
rendering the Government ineffective or non-operational. It is
especially embarrassing to see cabinet colleagues engage in public
bickering over petty, inconsequential or peripheral factional
matters while major national issues go unattended. The goodwill,
internal and external, that welcomed the new government into
office has all but diminished and investors are beginning to
wonder if Kenya is really worthy their investment. It appears that
various political factions only agree when it comes to looting the
country, as in legislating outrageous pay hikes and allowances for
MPs. We have not forgotten the MPs successful blackmailing of the
Minister for Finance, threatening not to vote for a bill for
funding free universal primary education, one of their own
campaign promises, unless the Minister first authorized payment of
millions of shillings in car allowance for each MP.
It is very demoralizing to see that after months of hard work,
billions of shillings, and even after the ruling coalition itself
promised Kenyans a new constitution within 100 days of coming to
power, and after Kenyans agreed on a draft constitution, the draft
is still the subject of factional contention at the Parliament
level. This clearly indicates that MPs are not interested in a
constitution that will serve Kenyans for posterity, but rather one
that will serve their parochial short-term factional interests.
We would like to appeal to our political leaders to put the
long-term interests of the country before their short-term ones.
Leaders should promote compromise and consensus building among
contending parties for the benefit of the country. We would
especially like to encourage our leaders to focus on rebuilding
the country now and wait for 2007 after Parliament has been
formally dissolved to embark on political jostling and campaigning.
Constant squabbling is scaring investors away and
this will seriously encumber our efforts at economic recovery.
Perennial politicking is going to be the painful consequence of
commercializing our politics by having MPs award themselves
outrageous
salaries and allowances.
Angaluki Muaka
Secretary, KCA
The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA)
Web: http://www.kenyansabroad.org
E-mail: secretary@kenyansabroad.org
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