Kalonzo urges Ruto to expedite IEBC formation

Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Tuesday called on President William Ruto to fast-track the process of constituting the electoral commission, saying the lack of a fully constituted polls body was denying some Kenyans the right of representation.

Mr Kalonzo, who was speaking during the National Conference on the Roadmap on the Finalisation of Electoral Reforms 2027, said the lack of political goodwill from President Ruto was hindering the implementation of the the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

“We still lack the commission to implement the essential election improvements. Political goodwill is lacking. Institutional interference has kept Kenyans from having a fully operating IEBC,” Mr Musyoka said.

“For more than a year, the commission has been without commissioners. This has had a substantial impact on the implementation of several of its operations, such as holding by-elections, reviewing border delimitation, and evaluating numerous policy texts.”

The Wiper leader also blamed the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) over what he claimed is the lack of adherence to the two-thirds gender principle, which is a constitutional and legal requirement for selecting nominees for the IEBC selection panel.

Mr Musyoka, through the opposition, had submitted the name of his close ally, Ambassador Koki Muli, for appointment.

But PPDT on Tuesday last week ordered the name of Dr Augustus Muli to be submitted by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition for appointment by President Ruto.

The commission has been dysfunctional since the resignation of the Wafula Chebukati-led team in January last year.

Three other commissioners — Juliana Cherera (vice-chairperson), Francis Wanderi, and Justus Nyang’aya — resigned, while Irene Masit was kicked out of office by a tribunal.

Dr Musyoka has also called upon the government to eradicate obstacles faced by thousands of youth in obtaining national identification cards. 

“The process of applying for and receiving an ID card in Kenya can be slow, often taking several months. This discourages young people and those in remote areas from registering as voters, as they need an ID to register. Delays may be due to a backlog of applications, inefficiencies in the system, or logistical issues,” he said.

Due to the lack of a functional IEBC, several by-elections have never been held in areas such as Banisa Constituency, which has been without representation in Parliament since March 2023, following the death of Kulow Maalim.

Another is Kisa East Ward in Kakamega County, which has been left without a Member of the County Assembly (MCA), since the passing of Stephen Maloba.

In Tana River, the death of MCA Hamisi Idd following a car accident has also left the area without representation.

The nomination of former Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi as a Cabinet secretary for energy in the national government has also left the constituency without representation in parliament.

[email protected]