an end the fast-spreading violence and destruction of property that threatened to degenerate into a bloody civil war.
These concerted mediation efforts led by the AU’s Eminent Persons with the strong support of the United Nations and international community culminated into the signing of a power-sharing peace deal and, subsequently, the enactment of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008, and the formation of the coalition government in which the Kenya Parliament played a pivotal role.
The immediate post-turmoil period saw the convening and swearing in of the 10th Parliament
and required that the Kenya Parliament had to pass key legislation to give effect to a raft of proposed legal and institutional reforms that were agreed upon and contained in the National Accord agenda. These reforms were to be undertaken expeditiously to ensure that the country returned to normality and a future reversal was avoided. We experienced an overwhelming flow of support from the international community including the United States, the European Union, Japan, Britain and other world powers. President Kibaki, Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga, National Assembly Speaker Hon. Kenneth Marende and indeed
Members of the 10th Parliament have had to handle a packed reform-based parliamentary agenda. Parliament has in the last two years, debated and passed legislation and policies with far- reaching and intricate local, regional and international implications within very strict timeframes. However, times have changed after the Cold War and so have the challenges before Parliament.
Parliament and
strengthening regional and international relations The issue is to establish the role of the National Assembly in the foreign and international relations
An aerial view of the Kenyan Parliament building.
of an African country in times when in effect the internal circumstances are heavily weighed upon by global factors or events and vice versa. The roles of the East African Community, the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament are mere specifics in this matter. They are treaty-based and govern particular inter-African relations. The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organization comprising of the five East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and
The Parliamentarian | 2010: Issue Three - Kenya | 33