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Resolve the IEBC hitch and other challenges

Editorial logo Nation.Africa

By  Editorial

When Parliament reconvenes early next month, after its long Christmas and New Year holiday recess, it will have a full in-tray. There are several key issues that need to be resolved to put the country back on the right track.

And what the lawmakers can no longer ignore is the huge dent in public confidence, with the National Assembly being increasingly accused of doing the Executive’s bidding. There is work for the lawmakers to do and it should be driven by the public interest and not necessarily what the national leadership requires.

A number of issues are crying out for urgent attention by the MPs. One is the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The electoral agency has remained dysfunctional for over a year, as it has no commissioners and the chairperson.

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Secondly, there is a need to pass the Bill seeking to entrench the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). Other issues of concern are the Budget process and national debt management.

Last August, the Supreme Court ruled that the NG-CDF Act, enacted in 2013 and amended in 2015, violated the principle of separation of powers and was, therefore, unconstitutional. This is so and yet each of the 290 constituencies receives Sh137 million annually to finance national government projects.

Also, a court case has prevented President William Ruto from nominating people to fill the vacant positions in the electoral body. Parliament will only prioritise the IEBC once the court verdict is in, as it is the only remaining obstacle.

The draft Bills to entrench the NG-CDF and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund are expected to be finalised and published before the House. And what has proved elusive for a longer time is the enactment of the two-thirds gender rule, which was debated inconclusively in the last Parliament. It is meant to increase women’s representation.

It is in the public interest that these issues are effectively tackled to remove the obstacles and streamline governance and the management of resources for national development.

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