Friday, October 25, 2024 - The United States has raised a red flag over the uncertainty surrounding Kenya’s electoral body, less than three years to the next general election.
Through a statement from the U.S. Embassy, the
superpower warned that democracy in Kenya was at stake since the Independent
Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was yet to get new commissioners.
"IEBC's ability to support democracy in
Kenya is at risk without recruiting commissioners or parliamentary action to
provide IEBC funding for voter registration. by-elections and other
activities," the U.S. Embassy said.
This comes even as the IEBC continues to operate without commissioners following the resignation of most of them following the hotly contested 2022 presidential election.
As it stands, the
body is unable to hold any elections as currently constituted.
In July 2024, the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 was made into law, marking the
beginning of a lengthy process to recruit commissioners.
The new law hands supreme powers to the IEBC
chairman, who will have full control of the commission such that no one else
can assume office in his absence.
President William Ruto is now expected to
publish in a Gazzete Notice with the names of the individuals submitted to him
to sit in a nine-member selection panel which will include two persons
nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission and three persons nominated
by the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC).
However, since there is no timeline on when
the President can constitute the panel, the country continues to wait with
bated breaths on the future of the IEBC.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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