When IEBC commissioners will be appointed; Ruto
3 min read
President Ruto promises to appoint new independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners in ten days
President Ruto promises to appoint new independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners in ten days.
President William Ruto declared on Sunday that Kenya will have a fully constituted electoral commission within ten days, addressing one of the 14 demands set forth by protesters last week.
While making his announcement, Ruto confirmed receiving a parliamentary report authorizing him to appoint new commissioners for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The demand for a reconstituted IEBC has been a key issue in the ongoing nationwide protests, which have been marked by significant youth involvement. Protesters are insisting on swift action, arguing that the IEBC’s current state of paralysis is unacceptable.
Demand number six, released online last Friday, encapsulates the urgency: “Constitute the IEBC within the next 30 days to facilitate our move to recall all rogue MPs and hold fresh elections.”
The demand to constitute the IEBC within 30 days has been particularly vocal among the youth, who view this as a critical step toward holding their leaders accountable.
A major catalyst for these protests was the controversial Finance Bill, which saw 204 MPs voting in favour despite widespread public opposition. This has spurred calls for the recall of MPs, a process that hinges on having a functional IEBC.
The IEBC’s dysfunction, due to the absence of commissioners, has halted critical operations, including the organisation of by-elections. The situation has drawn concern from various quarters, including the National Churches Council of Kenya (NCCK).
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The NCCK’s Secretary General, Chris Kinyanjui, praised the youth for their resilience and peaceful protests. “We need to ask for IEBC to be reconstituted like yesterday. That is the only way that we can be able to recall some of the MPs who supported the finance bill yet the others told them not to do that,” he stated.
The urgency of the matter was further highlighted last week when the National Assembly passed the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This legislative move, which has the concurrence of the Senate, aims to resolve the ongoing crisis at the IEBC. However, the specifics of the report President Ruto referenced remain unclear.
The IEBC has been in disarray since the retirement of Chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye in January last year. The situation was exacerbated by the ousting of Juliana Cherera and three other commissioners for rejecting Ruto’s presidential election victory.
This leadership vacuum has stalled vital functions, including boundary reviews, which the courts have mandated require commissioner involvement.
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