Bill seeks early exit for aspiring leaders

What you need to know:

  • The amendment is among a raft of changes being proposed in the Elections (amendment) Bill now being analysed by the committee.
  • They said six months were not enough to stop interested civil servants from misusing public resources in preparation of running for office.
  • Committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga said past experience had shown that most public officers used their offices to influence voters.

Public servants eyeing political seats will be required to resign one year before a General Election.

This is if a new amendment set to be tabled in the House by a parliamentary committee sails through.

The National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs committee is proposing that civil servants who want to vie for an elective seat leave office one year before the national elections as opposed to six months as per the Elections Act.

The amendment is among a raft of changes being proposed in the Elections (amendment) Bill now being analysed by the committee.

Most of the members yesterday agreed that extending the period to one year would provide enough time for the affected government department or agency to fill the vacancy.

They said six months were not enough to stop interested civil servants from misusing public resources in preparation of running for office.

The committee met Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission members at Continental House, Nairobi.

Committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga said past experience had shown that most public officers used their offices to influence voters.

“Six months is too short. It should be one year. We know several parastatal chiefs who start employing people few months to elections and then start using that against their competitors when they resign to vie,” said Mr Chepkonga.

However, IEBC commissioners with vice-chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja opposed the proposal saying the limit should be left at six months saying it was fair enough.

“We are proposing six months because that is adequate for a public officer to disengage himself or herself from public office,” she said.