MARTHA KARUA remarks during the ministry's staff retreat held at the Safari Park Hotel on 5th May, 2006.

The Permanent Secretary, Departmental heads, Staff Members, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It gives me great pleasure to be with you this morning to preside over this very important occasion in our Ministry?s calendar. Allow me, therefore, to take this early opportunity to convey my gratitude to the organizers for their initiative in organizing this function and inviting me.

At a personal level I am very happy to meet all the ministry staff in one seating. I have only interacted with the senior staff during the short period I have been in the ministry. I would have wished to meet all of you in your places of work but it has not been possible due to pressure of work. I have however cleared my diary for today and part of tomorrow to be able to share with you my vision of the ministry and also hear the views of various members of staff.

As you are all aware, our Ministry has the challenging responsibility for Constitutional development, developing strategies and policies on the fight against corruption, promoting human rights and the rule of law, improving the administration of justice, legal education and overseeing legal sector reform.

To address these challenges, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have put the fight against corruption at the top of our agenda because corruption is the biggest bottleneck to all our development efforts. Kenyans on the other hand are looking to us to deal decisively with the various corruption scandals including Anglo-Leasing, the Ndungu report on illegally/irregularly allocated public land and the Goldenberg report.

Kenyans today are better educated and aware of their rights than ever before and they are demanding a more accountable and transparent Government. They expect the Government to fulfill all the pre election pledges and key among these pledges is the development of a new Constitution.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish in this regard to reiterate that since Kenyans are still desirous of having a new Constitution, the Government is committed to facilitating the successful conclusion of the Constitution Review Process and the appointment of the Committee of Eminent Persons, chaired by Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat is a case in point. They are not drafting another Constitution but collecting views on what Kenyans consider the weaknesses, strengths, successes or failures of the process.

The nation has also experienced major divisions resulting from the referendum campaigns and there is need to heal the nation in order to create an enabling environment for a participatory process through reconciliation. The extent to which we deliver results on these issues will determine whether the government will deliver on its commitments to Kenyans.

The Government is also committed to promoting the enjoyment of human rights as defined in the United Nations Conventions on Human Rights and our constitution for all persons in Kenya irrespective of their economic, political and social status. Citizens are however, expected to responsibly exercise the new found freedom and democratic space.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am glad to note that the Ministry?s strategic plan was judged the best after an evaluation of the strategic plans of all Government Ministries. In terms of planning, we are clearly ahead of most Government ministries. We must now strive to be the best in implementation of the strategic plan. Implementation of the strategic plan will require a change of attitude from the traditional civil service approach of lethargy, obsession with the regulations and process rather than results, lack of initiative and failure to take responsibility for our actions. We will have to be proactive, driven, results-oriented and committed. We must live up to the values articulated in the strategic plan.

The ministry's mandate is primarily that of policy articulation, development and oversight. We are responsible for ensuring that the legal and justice sector is working efficiently and effectively. We execute this mandate through facilitation and co-ordination as well as through policy intervention. To be effect and efficient in this role, we must adopt modern work methods including appropriate use of technology computers, e-mail, etc.

Although the Ministry is relatively new, it has clearly cut its niche. A lot of hopes are placed on our work. We cannot afford to disappoint Kenyans. We must deliver. I urge you to be free in your discussions. Nobody should be intimidated or punished for being frank. All the discussions should be geared towards improving performance rather than avoiding responsibility or blaming others. We are here to honestly examine ourselves and agree on how to improve our performance.

With those few remarks, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to declare this staff retreat officially open.

Hon. Martha Karua, EGH, MP
Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs