Jubilee MPs in Naivasha retreat to discuss ICC, new alliance party

Kenya: Jubilee MPs converge today in Naivasha for a two-day Parliamentary Group (PG) retreat whose agenda includes the newly formed Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) and two bills touching on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The more than 200 MPs will be at the Great Rift Valley Lodge for the meeting that opens tomorrow and at which the ruling coalition will evaluate its performance, two years into power.

One of the amendment bills the legislators want to push through Parliament seeks to have the deputy President granted immunity from prosecution while in office. The other is designed to set the stage for the country to withdraw from the ICC.

The Standard has established that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are expected to attend the meeting.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi), his National Assembly counterpart Aden Duale (Garissa Town) and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Charles Keter (Kericho) yesterday told The Standard the meeting will discuss national politics, evaluate performance and come up with the way forward.

“We have a broad agenda. We have issues cutting across Parliament and politics. We will also be taking stock of our two-year performance as we prepare to begin our third session in Parliament,” said Prof Kindiki.

He added: “As legislators, we will seek to find out if our coalition pillars contained in our manifesto have been considered and if so, are we on track or not?"

The conduct of the MPs, especially after the ugly scenes witnessed during the passing of the controversial Security law, will also feature at the meeting.

Mr Duale disclosed the meeting will kick off on Friday morning with deliberations on the proposed legislation on ICC.

“We will take a stand on the proposed legislation by Boniface Otsula (Bumula) to repeal the International Crimes Act, to pave way for the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute,” said Duale.

He continued: “The second Bill, by Mithika Linturi (Igembe South) seeks to amend Article 143 of the Constitution to extend immunity from instituting criminal charges on a sitting deputy President. This will give immunity to Mr Ruto on the pending ICC cases against him.”

Duale said the proposed amendment further seeks to clarify the contradiction of the law, where the President is not immune to international justice bodies, where Kenya is a member.

 

Kindiki said the pending ICC cases are a major concern,  and therefore, it will be in order for the legislators to consult on the matter touching on the DP and former radio presenter Joshua Arap Sang.

The forum comes at a time when MPs from the coalition partner, The National Alliance (TNA), have been pushing for a parliamentary group meeting to deliberate on party affairs.

Kindiki concurred with the TNA MPs led by Kanini Kega (Kieni) that the party officials should organise regular meetings to give an update on party matters. He, however, downplayed parliamentary meetings.

Senator Keter said the meeting will give the legislators a chance to air their concerns and learn more about the party.

“The formation of JAP is for 2017. Those of us who were elected under the various coalition parties will continue to serve under them,” he stated.

He added, “The coalition is collapsing into a single party.