Nairobi,KENYA: The Coalition for Reform and Democracy ( CORD) wants an emergency sitting of the National Assembly to discuss matters of in security and rise in the price of goods.
Jakoyo Midiwo
Speaking to the Standard on Saturday, Deputy Leader of Minority Party, Mr Jakoyo Midiwo said the runaway in security and the crippling commodity prices warranted the immediate attention of the National Assembly, because those are the elected representatives of the people.
“We must discuss why there’s in security in the country because we think the State is involved so that they can suck the country into the cases (facing the top two leaders) at the International Criminal Court,” Midiwo said, and claimed he will prove that complicity in the House. He added: “We have a responsibility as a Parliament to sort out these issues.”
Definite date
However, Mr Midiwo did not say the definite date when the House will convene, but said the request to the Speaker was to have the sitting on Thursday next week.
Junet Mohammed (Suna East MP) added that the Opposition was going to use the Standing Orders to have the MPs reconvene a week before the official resumption of normal House business on September 17. “The high cost of goods and services is becoming unbearable. The in security, where people are being killed in their dozens in Marsabit, Moyale, Kilgoris and Trans Mara needs us as leaders to sit and discuss so that we know what the problem is,” said Mohammed.
Patient people
He added, “Kenyans are patient people, but when they are overburdened, they may not take it lightly.”
The Leader of Minority in the National Assembly, Mr Francis Nyenze, had already complained that the special sitting held on Thursday afternoon to pull Kenya out of the Rome Statute –the mechanism of the International Crimes Act—was superfluous if compared to the impact of the VAT Act, and the insecurity. “Kenyans have reached a point where they cannot survive,” said Nyenze in the House, regarding the taxes that took effect as a result of the VAT Act that came into effect on September 2.
The push for a special sitting next week comes within the same week that all the MPs will be headed to Leisure Lodge in Mombasa for an induction workshop.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, ambassadors Robert Godec (USA) and Christian Turner (UK) will attend the first day of the five-day workshop that begins on Monday.
The Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Edward K Doe Adjaho will also attend and teach the MPs.
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU, The Standard
