Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday after a two-month break with a tight agenda that includes two constitutional Bills and plans by some members to move a motion to create an official opposition.

Justice, Constitutional and National Cohesion minister Martha Karua is expected to move the long-awaited Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill and the Kenya Review Bill to pave way for comprehensive reforms.

The Bills are part of the National Accord brokered by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan to bring the post-election violence to an end and have President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga share power.

In the accord, the President's PNU was allocated 22 Cabinet seats while Mr Odinga's ODM was given 22 slots.

Court case filed

When the House reconvenes on Tuesday afternoon, the first order of business by Speaker Kenneth Marende will be to swear in the three new MPs Simon Mbugua (Kamukunji), Beatrice Kones (Bomet) and Joyce Laboso (Sotik).

The Kamukunji seat in Nairobi was vacant for the past 10 months after the General Elections because of a court case filed to bar the Electoral Commission of Kenya from declaring the winner of the polls.

The Bomet and the Sotik seats in Rift Valley Province fell vacant following the death of Roads minister Kipkalya Kones and Ms Lorna Laboso, who was Home Affairs assistant minister, in a plane crash.

The minister was replaced by one of his widows, Beatrice, while Ms Laboso was replaced by her sister, Joyce.

The powerful House Business Committee, chaired by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, is expected to meet on Monday to draw up the agenda of the parliamentary business for the week and the rest of the session.

So far, two MPs have indicated that they will seek its nod to move controversial motions. They are Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba and Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi.

The Budalang'i MP will seek time for members to debate on a motion to have an official opposition formed.

His Igembe South counterpart wants an upper age limit of 65 year for any presidential candidate. Parliament is also expected to discuss the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation (TJRC) Bill, pending amendments.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament as per the Annan mediation framework, Agenda Four, in April to address past historical injustices, impunity, corruption, the land question and marginalisation.

On Sunday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) issued a statement lamenting that the process so far had been more State-driven, with extremely little consultations with members of the public.

The commission announced that after thoroughly reviewing the proposed TJRC Bill they have produced an amended version after working with a coalition of civil society organisations in collaboration with the International Centre for Transitional Justice.

In a statement, KNCHR said: "This alternative Bill reflects a major departure from the proposed Bill and have incorporated all the work the task force has done, the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs report and the comments coming from the women movement as well as international experts."

Mr Namwamba has urged the House Business Committee to give priority to the Bill seeking to establish a Grand Opposition in Parliament.

Speaking ahead of the reopening of the House, the Budalang'i MP said he was determined to push the proposed law to a logical conclusion.

"This is a good law for democracy and for this country and we are fully confident that it will pass.

"Those with any misgivings about it should speak their mind on the floor of the House and not through public forums because laws are enacted in Parliament," he told the Nation.

Opposition

Others at the forefront of the opposition formation include vocal MPs Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) and Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani), who have expressed confidence that the Bill would sail through Parliament. Mr Khalwale said the Bill enjoys immense support from a cross-section of MPs.

Those against the Bill, however, say it will be impossible for its proponents to marshal enough support to have it sail through.

Last week, chairman of the Budget Committee of Parliament Martin Oginde argued that backbench MPs can effectively keep the Government on its toes and act as a watchdog.

"One does not need to baptise himself or herself 'opposition' to play his oversight role. In any case, the backbench has on several occasions played this oversight role to the satisfaction of Kenyans," he said.

Mr Namwamba, however, said the proposed National Assembly (Parliament Opposition) Bill 2008 was meant to strengthen the opposition as an institution of Parliament.

"If we want to strengthen Government, we must also strengthen the opposition to have a balanced country that can secure the interests of the public," he said.