Five embassies have taken issue with the decision taken by the parliament to strip off Kenya anti Corruption Commission (KACC) powers to investigative cases of recovery of assets suspected to have been acquired through corrupt deals before May 2003.

The embassies say the action will weaken Kenya's legal and institutional framework to combat corruption.

The embassies of Canada, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and United States of America also called on President Kibaki not to assent to the bill saying it will undermine the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003.

In a statement, the embassies noted that the move by parliament was sending the wrong signal to Kenya's international development partners including the business community about the government's commitment to fighting corruption and improving governance.

On Wednesday, parliament accepted a clause in the Miscellaneous Statute Amendment Bill that will effectively prevent the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) from investigating corruption cases that were committed before May 2003.

Parliament also opposed a clause, which would have allowed for the public disclosure of wealth declarations by government officials.

Elsewhere, the National Convention of Executive Council (NCEC) has lashed out at Members of Parliament for reducing the powers of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) saying it was a big blow to Kenya's fight against graft.

The Council in a statement claimed that parliament was conscientiously and craftily used in a plot to completely cripple and forestall the functions and operations of the commission.

NCEC Programme Manager Ndung'u Wainaina termed that the move by parliament as a well calculated conspiracy and dirty of work by powerful individuals implicated in corruption to block KACC from investigating and prosecuting them.

He asked the president not to sign the bill into law.