Jubilee disowns Bill seeking to reduce president’s powers

The Jubilee Party parliamentary leadership has disowned a proposed Bill that seeks to create a powerful prime minister’s office while reducing the powers of the president.

Jubilee has rejected the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill and its sponsor, Tiaty MP Kassait Kamket, and cautioned the media to desist from linking the party to it.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale clarified that Mr Kamket is a Kanu MP and declared that the Bill, which proposes to create a parliamentary system of government, has not been sponsored by the Jubilee Party.

“The media should stop using the Jubilee Party in sensationalising their reporting for the purposes of capturing their market. They should desist from misreporting on such matters,” Mr Duale said.

MISREPORTING

Mr Duale’s statement seemed to react to reports in a section of the media which seemed to suggest that the Bill had been sponsored by the party.

“There has been misreporting in the media that Mr Kamket is a Jubilee Party MP. Get your facts right. Mr Kamket is a Kanu MP and therefore his Bill is not a Jubilee sponsored,” he said.

He added: “The proposed Bill has nothing to do with Jubilee Party. When it finally comes to the House for debate members will have the right to express their will and decide its fate.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly will Thursday scrutinise the Bill and determine whether its financial implications are sustainable.

Under the standing orders, the committee has 21 days to consider the Bill and table a report in the House.

The committee will have a session with the National Treasury to listen to its views in terms of whether the economy can withstand it.

The Bill contains proposals that, if adopted, will drastically alter the structure of the executive arm of the government in what the MP says is an attempt to promote accountability and inclusivity in government.

PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM

The controversial proposal is the creation of a parliamentary system through the creation of the office of executive prime minister who will be the head of government and leader of government business in the National Assembly.

The PM will exercise the executive authority of the State with the assistance of two deputies.

The prime minister will be appointed by the President within seven days of the first sitting of the National Assembly after an election.

The PM will chair Cabinet meetings, direct and coordinate the functions of ministries and government departments and assign responsivity for the implementation and administration of any Act of Parliament to deputy PMs.

The MP is proposing that the PM be an elected member of the National Assembly with the additional role of leader of government business.

At the same time, he proposes the scrapping of the office of the deputy president because the President’s ceremonial functions will not require a deputy.

For one to be elected President, he will have to be 50 years and will serve a single term of seven years and will be elected by a joint sitting of Parliament.

The Bill further proposes that once elected he/she will not hold an elected office in a political party.

If the Bill is approved by the MPs, then the PM will have the power to pick members of his Cabinet from among members of the National Assembly.

At the same time, the Bill reintroduces the office of the official leader of opposition.

Reporting by Ibrahim Oruko, John Ngirachu and David Mwere