Speaker Justin Muturi to resign from three international organisations

Speaker of National Assembly Justine Muturi in a past ceremony. [File, Standard]

Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi is set to relinquish three major international Parliamentary group positions to concentrate on the presidential campaign ahead of the 2022 General election.

Muturi currently serves as the chairman of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) as well as the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) the vice-chair.

Muturi announced his ambition to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta whose term is set to come to an end in August next year.

He was crowned as the Mount Kenya region spokesman in a special ceremony at the Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga, last May.

Muturi has been the chair of the oldest Commonwealth organisation for the past five years.

The CPA is an international community of Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance and parliamentary practice.

CPA was founded in 1911 and is made up of over 180 legislatures divided up between nine geographic regions of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practices.

The CPA works with a wide range of organisations to deliver programmes that strengthen Commonwealth Parliaments, supports and promotes parliamentary democracy in accordance with the Commonwealth Charter and which aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The African region of the CPA comprises 63 national and subnational legislatures. It is governed by a Coordinating Committee and Executive Committee which is made up of representatives from across the region.

The African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) is an organization that aims to coordinate, involve and strengthen the capacities of African parliamentarians to fight corruption and promote good governance.

Speaker Muturi was elected GOPAC vice chairman in 2019.

GOPAC was founded in October 2002 as a result of a Global Conference in Ottawa, Canada. The conference brought together Parliamentarians dedicated to fighting corruption and improving good governance.

The body is unique in that it is the only international network of parliamentarians focused solely on combating corruption.

Its members represent more than 50 countries in all regions of the world. They are current or former legislators or legislators who have been denied their right to take office.