I want to begin by paying tribute to President Mwai Kibaki for his courage and wisdom in withdrawing the controversial nominations. I know all Kenyans are pleased that wise counsel has prevailed and a divisive issue has been settled within the requirements of the Constitution. The President’s agreement to seek a consensus-driven process for nominations as enunciated in the Constitution is another victory for cooperation as the only way to achieve the promise that our new Constitution offers.
The strengths and successes of the Constitution continue to be displayed to Kenyans every day. We have seen that the new Constitution and its nascent institutions are so clear in their mandates and that they are fully capable of resolving such crises. Indeed, all of us who believed that this was a truly people-empowering Constitution have been vindicated by the manner in which so many of these institutions have begun to exhibit a level of independence never before seen in our history.
The way has now been paved for the close cooperation that lies at the heart of the Constitution, which includes the National Accord, as the way to achieve the far-reaching reforms that the Coalition Government was established to deliver. The reform project will never go asunder as long as we follow the power-sharing criteria of good faith, constant consultation and a willingness to compromise as stipulated in the Accord and in the National Values.
On the way forward on the nominations, we are conscious that the current public service Commission has not been reconstituted in the context of the New Constitution.
As such, the interviews for the positions of Director of Public Prosecutions and the Controller of the Budget, should be conducted by competent panels of renowned experts in the concerned fields, with the Public Service Commission providing the Secretarial Services. This procedure should also apply to other constitutional positions in the public service as well.
RT. HON. RAILA. A. ODINGA, EGH, MP,
PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA
22.02.2011
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