Political parties are racing against time to comply with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) directive on the two-thirds gender rule in the National Assembly and the Senate nominations.
Non-compliant parties will have to revoke certificates of some nominees and award them to the less represented gender in order to meet the threshold. The Wafula Chebukati-led IEBC has reiterated that all parties ought to submit revised lists not later than Monday, May 9, at 11.59pm.
“This is pursuant to the Court Order issued in Constitutional Petition No. 19 of 2017 in Katiba Institute Vs Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” IEBC cited the court ruling.
With less than 48 hours remaining, political parties will work over the weekend to meet the IEBC deadline. Hard decisions will have to be made on nomination certificates to be revoked and to whom they will be awarded.
IEBC cautioned that non-compliant political parties will not participate in the 2022 General Election for parliamentary and senatorial positions.
Questions linger on whether the parties will comply with the principle which has for years ignited debate. A majority of public offices and parastatals, over the past years, have struggled to meet the two-thirds gender rule.
Former Chief Justice, David Maraga, in September 2020, advised President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve Parliament for failure to meet the two-thirds gender rule.
If forced to comply, political parties may have to find strategies to avoid litigation with nominees expected to raise a furore and sue parties' elections boards, especially after they were involved in gruelling party primaries.
Chebukati, in a notice dated May 5, noted that the Commission received lists of nominated candidates for the position of members of the National Assembly and Senate from 81 political parties.
“Upon review of the lists of nominated candidates, the Commission observed that 48 political parties that submitted lists of nominated candidates for Members of the Senate, 38 political parties that submitted lists of nominated candidates for Members of the National Assembly were compliant and met the two-thirds gender principle,” Chebukati stated.
The IEBC boss noted that the directive is not optional and that political parties must exercise the powers they hold to ensure the rule is followed to the letter.
