Kenyan MPs Unite To Begin Healing Process

Members of the Kenyan Parliament are putting their factional differences aside in Parliament in an effort to unite the country as debate on bills designed to fashion out a coalition Government begins. 

The MPs preached reconciliation; peace and forgiveness during debate on the presidential speech to enable the country heal its post-election crises. 

The Vice President initiated debate on the presidential speech in the morning and declared that “President Kibaki and Hon Raila Odinga deserve a special mention. They stepped in just when Kofi Annan (former UN secretary general who was the chief mediator) had suspended the talks. It is now time for members to make sure that the spirit of reconciliation begins in this House.”  

Partner of Equals 

Mr. Odinga, who addressed the House, told “the MPs that they are  moving to the coalition as equal partners, as there would not be no number one, two or three in the new government”, he said. 

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Justice minister Martha Karua, Mr Musalia Mudavadi (Sabatia) and Mr William Ruto (Eldoret North) said the country was at a turning point. 

In what could be taken as setting the record straight on the National Accord that he signed with President Kibaki, Odinga said that the issue of ranks in government hierarchy was non-existent. 

Mr Odinga (Lang'ata), who spoke amid foot thumping by MPs on both sides of the House, warned of the danger of political arrogance and reckless talk by some leaders at a time when the country was not yet out of the woods. 

In his words, “A grand coalition government brings together two equal partners and we must treat each other with respect. There is no number one, number two or number three. We are all number one in one grand coalition government.” 

Memorable Bills  

The two Bills were prepared by the House Business Committee chaired by the VP on Tuesday night and were introduced in the House on Wednesday in the formal First Reading. 

MPs were expected to start debate on the National Accord and Reconciliation Bill, which spells out power-sharing and defines the roles of Prime Minister and the two deputies. 

Attorney-general Amos Wako announced that the Bill could come up for the second reading Thursday afternoon ready for MPs to debate it. 

The Bill seeks to create the Office of Prime Minister and two deputies and also to address power-sharing. 

Ms Karua also announced that the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill would come up for debate next week. 

The Bill will entrench the Act in the current Constitution making the PM and the two deputies part of the government. 

Mr Odinga, who spoke from the seat of the Official Opposition leader, as he awaits the creation of the Prime Minister position by Parliament, talked of why ODM accepted to form a grand coalition with PNU and cautioned that the gains of the Accord should not be reversed. 

In his words, “we have moved from a precipice... When we looked at the abyss that has nothing good, we decided to come back to the middle because we had seen brothers hacking each other.” 

Unity In Diversity 

Speaking on the two-month political crisis that was ended by the signing of the accord, he explained: "the crisis showed that we have been living a lie... We are a conglomeration of ethnic groups that have refused to form a nation and this is a result of the political failure of leaders since independence."  

Mr Odinga said it was the duty of elected MPs to provide a leadership that brings Kenyans together, saying, the 42 ethnic groups were here “by right and must cohabit in the geographical space we call Kenya”. 

The MPs trooped to Mr Odinga's Karen home in Nairobi after attending Parliament in what was seen as a show of solidarity and unity ahead of debate of crucial Bills in the House. 

President Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga signed a deal to form a grand coalition two weeks ago after negotiations aimed at ending a post-election crisis in which 1,000 people were killed and 350,000 others displaced from their homes. 

 

AllAfrica/AOA/ Qasim