Three Members of the Kenya Parliament’s Speaker’s Panel led by Hon. Gitobu Imanyara made a four day study tour to the Federal Republic of Germany from 8th -12th April 2008. Other members of the Panel were Hon. Prof Philip Kaloki, Hon. Prof. Margaret Kamar and Mr. Ali Mohammed, Assistant Clerk of the National Assembly.

The visit was organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in conjunction with the German Bundestag (Parliament) and the Federal Foreign Office. The objective of the tour was to familiarize the group with German parliamentary processes and the functioning of a grand coalition government.

The Panel met the following officials; Mr. Werner Pruschner, Head of Africa at the Frederich Ebert Foundation. Prof. Herta Gmelin, a Member of Parliament of the Social Democratic Party and also a former Justice Minister, M/S. Carola Mueller-Holtkemper, Head of East Africa Division at the Federal Foreign Office and Mr. Gernot Erler, Deputy Federal Foreign Minister.

Mr. Patrick Meinhardt, the Chairman, Parliamentary Group for East Africa in the Bundestag hosted a working lunch in honor of the Kenyan group on Thursday 10th April 2008.

During their discussions in the Bundestag, the MPs were appraised of the tasks and structure of the German Parliament, the functioning of the Parliament, press work and the media with the Parliament and the functioning and organization of committees.

The Panel was accompanied by H. E. Mr. H. Mutuma Kathurima the Ambassador of Kenya to the Federal Republic of Germany and Mr. A. S. Wafula from the Kenya Embassy in Berlin.