Suna East MP Junet Mohamed opposed the government's plans to amend the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Act to change the selection panel required to vet new commissioners.
According to the MP, the plan sought to disrupt and subdue the integrity of the electoral body by unfairly selecting IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati's replacement.
Junet, on Thursday, November 10, vowed to lobby MPs and the public to reject the motion submitted in Parliament.
"Now, this is the real state capture and 2027 Elections. What is the hurry!," Junet posed.
Notably, the proposed selection panel has an equal number of seven members as the existing panel outlined in the IEBC Act.
In the proposed bill, the selection panel consists of one man and one woman, nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission, one nominated by the Public Service Commission (PSC), one person nominated by the Political Parties Liaison Committee, one nominated by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and two nominated by the Inter-religious Council of Kenya.
However, according to the IEBC ACT, the selection panel consists of two men and two women nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission, one by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and two by the Inter-religious Council of Kenya.
"At least six months before the lapse of the term of the chairperson or member of the Commission or within 14 days of the declaration of a vacancy in the office of the chairperson or member of the Commission under the Constitution or this Act," it spells.
The President shall appoint a selection panel consisting of seven persons for appointment of the chairperson or member of the Commission," reads part of the Act.
On Saturday, October 22, the vacancy position for the IEBC chairperson was announced in a Gazette Notice. The notice also announced the vacancies for two IEBC commissioners.
"Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred to me, I William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya notify of impending vacancies in the aforementioned positions," Ruto stated.
The two commissioners were Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye, whose terms, like that of Chebukati, ends in January 2023.
