Civil society rejects proposals by joint team on IEBC

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale (centre) receiving a report on electoral reforms from Joint Parliamentary Select Committee co-chairmen James Orengo (right) and Kiraitu Murungi at Parliament on August 18,2016. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |

What you need to know:

  • Civil society groups say a deal IEBC commissioners had cut with the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on their fate was unconstitutional.
  • The organisations said the lawmakers had missed the “bigger picture”.

Civil society groups have called for the prosecution of electoral commissioners, saying they do not deserve a dignified package as proposed by a joint select committee.

They said the commissioners should take individual responsibility and that a deal they had cut with the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on their fate was unconstitutional.

The organisations, under the banner of the "Kura Yangu, Sauti Yangu", also dismissed a proposal by the committee to have a selection panel for new election managers to come largely from religious organisations.

The parliamentary team's report on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

In a hard-hitting statement on the team’s recommendations, the organisations said the lawmakers had missed the “bigger picture”.

“It is not possible for any organ to grant anyone immunity because it is a constitutional matter. And if the IEBC commissioners did nothing wrong, why should they be worried?” asked George Kegoro, the executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).

The Kura Yangu, Sauti Yangu initiative has representatives from the KHRC, Independent Medico-Legal Unit, Inuka Trust, the Constitution and Reforms Education Consortium and several others.

They were speaking at the KHRC offices in Nairobi.

The joint parliamentary team, co-chaired by Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, has proposed a seven-member IEBC team, a new selection panel with a majority of members from the religious groups, auditing of the voters register and a dignified exit package for the nine current IEBC commissioners.

On Thursday the organisations said Kenya needs a three-member IEBC team, new registration of voters and and a selection panel that involves more stakeholders.

“Religious organisations are not necessarily above the country's partisan interests and the idea of an independent selection panel will perish the moment it is dominated by any one sector,” said the team in a statement.