A section of Members of the Parliament (MPs) have presented a bill to the house seeking the reduction of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
According to the members of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, the commissioners should be reduced from the current seven to four commissioners, including the chairman.
As it is, the IEBC Act provides for the agency to have a chairperson and six other commissioners, with each member serving a six-year team.
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In the bill drafted by the committee’s chairman Jeremiah Kioni, the number of the commissioners should be reduced in Section 5 of the IEBC act.
The drafted bill further noted that in the case of a resignation by any commissioner, the vacancies are to be filled within the shortest time possible after President Uhuru Kenyatta declares vacancies to avert a void in the conduct of IEBC’s business.
Current;y, the IEBC is operating with only the chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu.
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This is after commissioner Roselyn Akombe resigned and fled the country after the 2017 general elections citing security reasons.
IEBC vice chair Consolata Nkatha, and commissioners Paul Kurgat and Margaret Mwachanya resigned alleging that Chebukati failed to offer adequate leadership to the commission.
In the bill, Parliament is also suggesting amendment of the fifth schedule relating to the delimitation of boundaries of constituencies and wards. “Thus, the fifth schedule needs to be aligned to section 36 of the act,” says Kioni in the bill.
Article 89 (2) of the Constitution provides that IEBC shall review the names and boundaries of constituencies at intervals of not less than eight years, and not more than 12. The second review of constituencies and wards ought to be completed between 2020 and 2024.
