Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi Saturday called on Parliament to fast-track passage of the Assumption of the Office of President and Transition of Executive Authority Bill, 2025.
The Bill aims at establishing formal mechanisms to facilitate presidential transitions after the outcome of a general election.
Mudavadi said the Bill has provisions for checks in case there arises any disruption that may be occasioned by the transfer of executive power that could produce results detrimental to the economy, safety, and well-being of Kenya and its people.
He said picking from lessons learnt from the previous elections especially the hotly contested August 2022 polls, once the bill becomes law, the electoral body will also be guaranteed of its democratic and constitutional space during the transition period.
“When you look at that bill there are lessons that have been picked from the experience the late former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati went through in 2022. In honouring a man who wanted to bring law and order in the management of our country’s electoral process, parliament should enrich the bill and ensure its implementation is fully adhered too”
“From Chebukati’s experience we have learnt one key lesson that we need to have order, good regulations and progressive laws so that transitions in Kenya shall and will always be smooth, perfect and conducted in accordance with the law and the provisions of the constitution,” he argued.
He explained that there is a need for all state departments and agencies to also begin transition planning well before polls through processes such as the preparation of financial statements and inventories, a move he said will mutually benefit both outgoing and incoming administrations.
Mudavadi indicated that a successful transition between the incumbent administration and the incoming administration should begin with pre-election planning and continue through inauguration day.
Mudavadi made the remarks when he joined President William Ruto and other leaders at the late Chebukati’s funeral service held at his Sabata farm in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County.
“Some jobs are no ordinary tasks. They are a calling and are a leap of faith since many lives depend on them. One such job is the job of being the chairperson of IEBC, the job that our brother Chebukati was holding. It is thankless yet many lives depend on it.”
Mudavadi said as the country gears towards enriching the electoral reforms ahead of the upcoming general elections in the future, and keeping in mind the process that is underway of reconstituting a new IEBC Kenyans should honour and appreciate the hard decisions which he termed as the right decisions taken by the late Chebukati during his six years term at the helm of the electoral body.
Already the shortlisting of candidates for the IEBC chairperson position has been done and the Mudavadi said Kenyans expect nothing but the best out of the process.
“As we look at the process of renewing the IEBC, we must all be clear that the strength of an institution, especially the institutions within our government set-up, the strength of those institutions largely depends on the people that lead those institutions.”
Mudavadi holds the view that the country requires a constitutional transformation that will promote a seamless electoral management process.
Given the dynamic nature of Kenya’s political and socio-economic landscape, he has been categorical that discussions on electoral law reforms be progressive and that enactment of necessary electoral laws should be finalized at least 12 months before the 2027 General Elections.
Mudavadi eulogized the late Chebukati as a courageous, forthright, intelligent, diligent, principled and a man of integrity whose contributions to Kenya’s democracy will go to the annals of history for this country.
He said the Late Chebukati leaves behind a rich legacy in Kenya’s legal and electoral landscape being a leader who stood for what is right and believed that everyone deserved a fair chance anchored on the fidelity to the law and adherence to the Constitution.
“If Chebukati had not stood firm, not once but three times in a row when he managed the Presidential elections during his 6 years helm as the Chairman of IEBC, then this country could have gone into chaos.”
“The peace we are enjoying today even as we bid the final respects to our brother, let us appreciate what chairman did for this country, he never gambled with people’s lives, he made sure he did what was right within the tenets of the constitution and anchoring his decisions on the fidelity of the law. His courage saw him always stand for the truth,” added Mudavadi.
Chebukati leaves behind a widow Mary Wanyonyi and three children.
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