The National Assembly has unanimously approved the appointment of Erastus Edung Ethekon as the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), along with the six commissioners.
Parliament has approved Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol and Fahima Araphat Abdallah as Commissioners of the IEBC.
The voting on Wednesday evening now paves the way for the reconstitution of the electoral body, about 18 months before the next General Elections.
The voting followed the tabling of a report from the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee that recommended that Parliament approve President William Ruto’s picks to the powerful body.
While tabling the motion, George Murugara said, “We will approve your nominations this afternoon, but Kenyans are watching, and they are saying if you don't have the spine to conduct elections, start growing one now.”
Adding, “Because we have to have a fair, just, credible, verifiable election which every Kenyan is going to be satisfied with.”
Ruto, on May ,8 picked the seven from a shortlist of 11 candidates for the position of Chairperson and 110 candidates for the six Commissioner positions.
While approving the nominees, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah took the opportunity to throw shade on the opposition led by Rigathi Gachagua over their opposition to the nomination of Ethekong as the IEBC boss.
“We must respect people not because of where they come from, but on the basis of what is on their heads,” he asserted.
Adding, “Any leader, whether in this House or out there, who is not in support of this motion and the establishment of a new IEBC is an enemy to this republic; is an enemy to the people of Kenya.”
With the Parliament's approval, the names now move to President Ruto’s desk for official appointment and gazettement. Then comes the swearing-in for the seven to officially take office.
It is unclear what becomes of the petition seeking to stop the appointment of the IEBC Commissioners. The High Court had issued an order halting the gazettement and swearing-in of the IEBC nominees pending the resolution of a constitutional petition challenging the selection process, but legislators have maintained that the case is simply meddling in their dutiful affairs.
“Any person in the judiciary who would imagine they would come in the way to stop us from having an IEBC, you would not be acting in the best interest of the people of Kenya,” Ichung’wah warned.
