The clock is ticking for Parliament as it races against an 11-day deadline to nominate three candidates for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel.
This urgent task follows President William Ruto's commitment to expedite the formation of the IEBC, a crucial step towards forming the country’s electoral body.
Jeremiah Nyegenye, Secretary of the Parliamentary Service Commission, has issued a directive to nominating bodies to submit their candidates for the selection panel by Monday, July 29.
In his letter to the Political Parties Liaison Committee, one of the key appointing bodies, Nyegenye emphasised the importance of a transparent and competitive nomination process.
“In light of the IEBC (Amendment) Act, 2024, the Parliamentary Service Commission therefore requests that the Political Parties Liaison Committee nominates, through a competitive and transparent process, three persons to be appointed as members of the Selection Panel for the appointment of the Chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” Nyegenye stated.
President Ruto's recent approval of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, marked a significant milestone.
This new law, stemming from the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report, sets the stage for reconstituting the IEBC, which has been operating without commissioners.
With the bill now law, the next critical phase involves appointing the selection panel tasked with recruiting new commissioners. If all proceeds as planned, Kenya could see a fully constituted IEBC by late October or early November 2024.
The Political Parties Liaison Committee must nominate three individuals: one from a party outside Parliament, one from the majority party or coalition, and one from the minority party or coalition.
These nominees, along with their CVs and testimonials, must be forwarded to the Office of the Clerk of the Senate and the Secretary of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
Nyegenye stressed the need for transparency, requesting documentation of the nomination process to ensure it meets competitive standards. The names will then be sent to President Ruto, who has seven days to appoint the panel.
This panel will have 90 days to complete the recruitment of the IEBC chairperson and other commissioners.
The new selection panel will expand from seven to nine members, including two nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission, three by the Political Parties Liaison Committee, one each from the Law Society of Kenya and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, and two from the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya.
The amended IEBC Act now requires commissioners to have a minimum of 10 years' proven knowledge and experience, with additional qualifications in accounting or information and communication technology. “
The proposed additional experience in information and communication technology and accounting accords with the various functions of the commission that includes the use of technology and the prudent procurement of goods and services related to the conduct of elections,” the committee report stated.
