Another tough call for Marende – His wisdom expected to save Kenya
Posted by African Press International on April 26, 2009
Tuesday the 28th of April will be a very important day in the History of Kenya if Kibaki and Raila by then will have not done the right thing. Should that happen, Hon. Speaker Marende is to make a ruling that will either save Kenya or send Kenyans to the voting boots earlier than expected so that the people may take a decision on the future of the country. (API)
National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende. PHOTO/ FILE
In Summary
- National Assembly Speaker torn between party loyalty and a sense of duty as he prepares to make a historic ruling, if President Kibaki and the Prime Minister don’t agree on the leadership of government business by Tuesday.
At 2.30 p.m. this Tuesday, the entire nation will be watching Speaker Kenneth Marende deliver one of the most anticipated judgments in the history of the 10th Parliament.
The positions in contention are crucial because the person who occupies them controls the business that the House transacts.
Critical issues
Among the most critical issues facing the House at this point is the mini-budget that Mr Kenyatta urgently needs to have approved by Parliament in order to unlock funds for government operations.
It’s a tough call. Mr Marende belongs to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the party that marshalled every troop last year and pulled no stops to ensure that he ascended to the powerful position.
Not only did ODM send him to the high office, but he was one of the lawyers who helped found the party even though he is required to be non-partisan in the chair.
He will be walking a tightrope. Former Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo said the man who succeeded him was in a “very awkward position.”
Should Mr Marende rule in the PM’s favour, he will likely open himself to criticism from the Party of National Unity (PNU), the other partner in the grand coalition government. If he rules in favour of Mr Musyoka, ODM may view him as a sellout.
But it will not be the first time that Mr Marende is making a difficult decision.
In January last year — during one of the darkest moments in the country’s history — he was called upon to talk sense into MPs who had argued against swearing allegiance to the President on grounds that the election results were rigged.
The swearing-in of Mr Marende on January 15 at 8.05 p.m. ushered in a challenging era for the man who was until then the MP-elect for Emuhaya.
After taking the oath of office and inheriting the mantle from the indefatigable Mr Kaparo, who had served as Speaker for 15 years, Mr Marende made a number of promises.
First, that under his watch, Parliament would be sensitive to and address the expectations of the people, and that he would not be biased in discharging his duties. “Do not read my lips; pry open my heart,” he said.
Then he assured MPs that he would defend their rights — regardless of party affiliation — to speak their mind freely in the House, provided they respected the rules.
Thirdly, Mr Marende pledged to “take Parliament to the people who elected it, no matter what it costs to do so”.
The new Speaker expressed his desire to shepherd the 10th Parliament in amending its Standing Orders to be in line with those of law-making institutions in other countries. That promise has been delivered with the adoption of new Standing Orders.
Fourth, he placed electronic voting and live coverage of House proceedings at the top of his agenda. Finally, he sought to assure MPs that the staff of the National Assembly would be at hand to help members grasp matters of procedure.
His promises will be put to a severe test this Tuesday should the two sides in the coalition government maintain their hardline positions.
The Sunday Nation has learnt that ODM’s position is that the impasse should be cleared through the Cabinet Committee on the Management of the Coalition. They have proposed a meeting on Monday.
Soon after Mr Marende is said to have received three visitors in his office. They were Cabinet ministers William Ruto, Charity Ngilu and Dalmas Otieno.
They were there to tell the Speaker that from their perspective, Mr Odinga was the rightful holder of the position of the Leader of Government Business in the House under the National Accord.
The three ministers reportedly urged the Speaker to interpret the Accord, which makes the PM an equal partner in the coalition government.
Letter from President
Mr Marende, the sources said, informed the three ministers that he had received a letter from the President designating Mr Musyoka as Leader of Government Business and chairman of the House Business Committee.
Mr Musyoka is also said to have walked into the Speaker’s office later and told Mr Marende not to favour any side in the stalemate.
The three ministers reportedly communicated to Mr Odinga who advised his team to draft a letter which he quickly signed and dispatched to the Speaker. In the letter, the Prime Minister argued that according to the agreement setting up the the coalition government, he is the rightful occupant of the two slots.
On receiving the second letter, Mr Marende wrote to the President, highlighting the contents of Mr Odinga’s letter and seeking his indulgence to solve the matter.
Mr William Ruto, Mr Otieno and Mrs Ngilu urged the Speaker to seek an audience with the President and the PM over the issue that had paralysed business in the House. But Mr Musyoka argued that if there were to be a meeting, he should also attend it because he was at the centre of the impasse. The proposal for a meeting was abandoned.
PNU ministers were not happy with the decision of the Speaker to give the ODM team access to the letter from the President.
On Friday, Mr Musyoka, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, the deputy PM, and Cabinet ministers Mutula Kilonzo and Kiraitu Murungi visited State House where they reportedly said that Mr Marende should not be part of the talks between the President and the PM.
His promise to meet with the two principals as an arbitrator, they argued, was not acceptable. The PNU side has replied to Mr Marende’s letter stating that it is the President’s prerogative to appoint the Leader of Government Business and chairman of the HBC.
The Speaker, it was said in the letter, had no role to play in the matter. They are said to have further stated that the PM had been advised — locally and internationally— that President Kibaki retained the executive authority of government.
source.nation.ke
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
