IEBC nominees await President Uhuru Kenyatta's nod after approval by assembly

Parliament yesterday approved the seven nominees to the electoral agency.

The seven now await the presidential appointment before they can be sworn in as the new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners to oversee the August 8 General Election.

With just seven months to the election and in the grip of tight time frame, the MPs closed ranks and approved the names.

Those approved are Wafula Chebukati (Chairperson), commissioners Consolata Nkatha, Abdi Guliye, Roselyne Kwamboka, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya and Boya Molu.

The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee in its 43-page report found all the nominees suitable to serve.

"...pursuant to the provisions of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2012, the IEBC Act and standing Order 216 (5) of the National Assembly, the committee recommends that the House approves the nomination of the seven for appointment by President Uhuru Kenyatta as chairperson and members of the IEBC," the Samuel Chepkonga-led committee recommended in its report.

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Leader of Majority Aden Duale (Garissa Town) and Deputy Minority leader Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) led their troops in supporting the nominees.

"I want to say that this commission will lead to the end of its term in 2022. You should not be intimidated or coerced by any political entity or individual. Let us give this team a fair chance and make sure they will conduct free and fair election. We don't want Kenyans to quarrel after every five years on who won the election. We want Mr Chebukati to develop a common team work since the life of the 40 million Kenyans will be in his hands. He must be very decisive in whatever decisions he wants to take," said Mr Duale.

Mr Midiwo added: "I support this team, because, we don't have time as a country. We have very little time left before elections. I want to agree with majority leader that we need to put these people in office as soon as possible so that they can set the rules. It is not that every time we must agree or disagree but there comes a time when logic must prevail."

The nomination of Mr Chebukati had, however, attracted claims that he had been favoured over Tukero Ole Kina who scored higher in the interviews.

The in-tray of the new commissioners is full as they assume office seven months to the polls.

As the electoral body struggles to restore public confidence after the 2013 presidential poll dispute, it will not be 'business as usual' for the Chebukati-led team.

All coming in fresh without any electoral management background, the new commission will plunge into the ongoing second phase of the mass voter registration.

The commissioners will oversee the process of procuring the Kenya Integrated Electoral Management System (KIEMS), key electoral equipment for the August polls, that is to be done four months to the elections.

Most importantly, the commission is tasked will the process identifying the technological system that will integrate the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), Electronic Voter Identification Device (EVID), Electronic Results Transmission and Candidate Registration systems.

They will also oversee the auditing of the voters register, procurement of the ballot papers as well as give direction on diaspora and prison voters.

And even before they settle down for work, the commission has been directed to extend the date for opening KIEMS tender by two weeks.

The Public Procurement and Disposal Administrative Review Board (PPDARB) found that the electoral body flouted procurement laws.

Consequently, the board ruled that the commission extends the period to allow full participation by all bidders.

According to the outgoing Issack Hassan-led team, the transmission of results will ensure each polling centre reports the provisional results to the different tallying centres.

The procurement is in line with the recommendations of the Justice Johann Kriegler's Independent Review Commission (IREC) report.

The Kriegler's commission had recommended that the electoral body should have an integrated and secure tallying and data transmission system, which will allow computerised data entry and tallying at constituencies, secure simultaneous transmission to the national tallying centre, and the integration of the results-handling system in a progressive election result announcement system.

However, eight years on since Kriegler handed over the report, the issuance of the national Identity Card is yet to be integrated with the registration of voters.

National IDs are issued by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) while registration of voters is done by IEBC.

"The commission supports the government's plan to introduce an Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS)," reads part of the IEBC status of implementation document.

The Kriegler commission was formed to look into the electoral system and make proposals in reforming the electoral commission.

According to the IREC report, IEBC is required to outsource the temporary personnel to third-party agencies.