A Historic Timeline
(iii) 9 June 1982 - Kenya legislated de jure mono-party system
(iv) 1 August 1982 - failed coup d’état (v) 22 July 1983 - Parliament dissolved earlier than the statutory five years.
The fifth Parliament: 18 October 1983-5 February 1988 The main benchmarks include:
(i) Sat throughout as a de jure mono-party
(ii) 18 October 1988 - first sitting of the fifth Parliament
(iii) A number of Members lost seats upon expulsion from KANU
(iv) 1987 - constitutional amendment increase constituen cy seats by 30 from 158 to 188
(iv) 5 February 1988 - fifth Parliament dissolved
(v) 21 March 1988 - general elections held under the mlolongo (queue) system.
The Sixth Parliament: 12 April 1988- 28 October 1992
The main benchmarks include:
(i) sat throughout as a de jure mono-party:
(ii) 12 April 1988 - first sitting of the sixth Parliament
(iii) 1988-1989: agitation for multi- parties gained; momentum formed for the Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD)
(iv) Resignation of a number of Members/Ministers from KANU to join the opposition/multi-party crusade
(v) Several Members and other persons detained
(vi) 10 December 1991 – changes to the 27th constitutional amendment reintroduced backing for multi-parties
(vii) 31 December 1991 - first oppo sition party; registration of FORD
(viii) April to October 1992 - ethnic clashes rock parts of the Rift Valley,Western, Nyanza and Coast Provinces, resulting in a Select Committee and the Kiliku Committee being established to investigate
(ix) The registration of over 50 political parties
(x) 28 October 1992 -
sixth Parliament dissolved.
The seventh Parliament: 26 January 1993 – 10 November 1997 This was the second functioning de jure multi-party after 23 years in October 1969. Benchmarks include:
(i) 26 January 1993 - first sitting of the seventh Parliament
(ii) 7 July 1993 - a private Member’s resolution urging autonomy of Parliament adopted (the Shikuku Motion)
(iii) 1994/95 - Standing orders amended to provide for majority seats for ruling party in Public Accounts and Public Investments Committees
(iv) 1997 – standing orders extensively amended to capture the multi-party nature of the House
(v) 10 November 1997 - seventh Parliament dissolved.
The eighth Parliament:3 February 1998-25 October 2002 The main benchmarks include:
(i) 3 February 1998 - first sitting of the eighth Parliament (ii) The third functioning multi- party since re-introduction of multi- parties (iii) 28 October 1998 - resolution for leave to introduce a Bill to amend the constitution providing autonomy of Parliament
(iv) 4 November 1999 - constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act,Act No.3 enacted providing for par liamentary service commission (the Olo Aringo Amendment);
(v) 28 June 2000 – enactment of the Parliamentary Service Act
(vi) May 2001 – adoption of the Strategic Plan for 2001 to 2012 of the Parliamentary Service Commission as the blueprint (vii) 25 October 2002 - eighth Parliament dissolved
(viii) 27-29 December 2002 - general elections held; the ruling party,KANU, lose to the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) led by H.E. Mwai Kibaki, CGH,MP
(ix) 30 December 2002 - President Kibaki is sworn in as the third President of the republic of Kenya.
The Mwai Kibaki era – 30 December 2002 to current
The ninth Parliament: January 09, 2003 to October 25, 2007 The main benchmarks include:
(i) 9 January 2003 - first sitting of the ninth Parliament
(ii) The ninth Parliament is the fourth functioning multi-party and the third since re-introduc tion of multi-parties in 1992
(iii) Status quo of the eighth Parliament prevails
(iv) October 2004 - vote of the referendum on the proposal for a new constitution; pitting the Bananas against the Oranges; the latter won
(v) October 2004 - President Kibaki dismisses the entire cabinet after discovering that some Members had supported the oranges
(vi) 25 October 25 2007 - the ninth Parliament is dissolved.
Presiding over Parliament in 100 years
At the inaugural first sitting of the Legco on 17 August 1907, the presid- ing officer who was referred to as the President of the Legco was also the Governor and the Commander–in-
Chief.The obvious effect of this arrangement was that it blurred the distinction between the Legco as a Legislature and the Governor as head of the executive arm of the govern- ment. It also suited the political set up of the day, as the majority mem- bership of the Legco – who were European –made no attempts to take over the reign of government till independence on 12 December 1963. With the eminent rise in the number of African representatives in the Legco, policy began to shift towards separation of the role and function of the governor, (the executive) and the Legco (Legislature).Thus, on 20 October 1948, Governor Sir Philip E. Mitchell ceased to preside, and awarding the position to retired judge, Justice William K. Horne. Mr Horne is therefore the first Speaker in the traditional reference to preside over a legislature.
Upon dissolution of the ninth
Parliament, a general election was held on 27 December 2007 to usher in the tenth Parliament.
The Parliamentarian 2008/Issue Four 357
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