NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 2 –National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has come out to clarify his remarks during a public baraza in Migori where he is reported to have ruled out Parliament as a route for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.
Muturi told a news conference held at Parliament Buildings on Monday the BBI report must be reduced into a draft Bill before it can be considered by the House.
“Before that has happens, there is no basis for anyone to even argue that it can be brought to Parliament. How? What is it coming to Parliament to do, is a White Paper (policy documents produced by the Government that set out their proposals for future legislation), is it a national government policy document, it is none of those,” he posed.
“Until the owners of the documents decide that, when it is the point for it to reach Parliament, then the procedures both under the Constitution and the Standing Orders will apply,” Muturi explained.
His remarks came hours after a section of North Rift lawmakers led by Nelson Koech (Belgut) and Caleb Kositany (Soy) said many aspects contained in the BBI report can be implemented in the Parliament because they touch on the law and not amendment to the Constitution.
“What the Speaker did mention yesterday (Sunday) in a political rally, I want to believe he was terribly misquoted because either way this proposal must come to Parliament for it to take the next course,” Koech stated.
Kositany who is also a Vice-Chairman of Jubilee Party added; “If you are a members of this Parliament and you believe that Parliament has lost the right to enact laws then the best thing for you to do is resign and allow us to elect some who can facilitate the House to do its mandate.”
Muturi explained that in his view bringing it directly to Parliament would not deny Kenyans the much-needed space to articulate their demands through the popular initiative.
“If you look through the document, a lot of the proposals in there are really by way of policies; if it is about the implementation of standards and ethics, we already have the Ethics and Integrity Act. In fact, we should be asking why we have not implemented some of the areas the BBI report has highlighted because they are there in the Constitution,” he said.
The Speaker attracted the support of Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen who tweeted that Muturi’s initial statement may have been misunderstood citing that recommendations call for amendments to existing legislation which can only be done by the legislature.
“I believe Speaker JB Muturi was misunderstood on his remarks about BBI. Most of the BBI recommendations are touching on legislative amendment on EACC Act, IEBC Act, Security Laws, Tax Law, Agriculture laws etc. Besides, all Constitutional Amendment processes must pass through Parliament,” Murkomen stated.
Following its launch by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, politicians allied to Deputy President Ruto William Ruto have rooted for the BBI report to be forwarded to Parliament for deliberation while those who support ODM Leader Raila Odinga have called for a referendum.
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