Parties to pick election body top staff

Political parties will now nominate four commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The Constitution Amendment Bill 2020 proposes that the amendment of Article 88 of the Constitution to state that the Commission consists of seven members, four of whom shall be representatives of parliamentary political parties.

“A member of the Commission shall hold office for a single term of four years,” says the Bill.

The proposed law also says one will not be eligible for the appointment if he has held office or stood for election as president, deputy president, governor, deputy governor, MP or MCA.

This comes in the wake of the passing of the IEBC Amendment Bill 2019, which gives the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) four slots in the seven-member panel to appoint electoral commissioners.

“The selection panel shall consist of: two men and two women nominated by the Parliamentary Service Commission; one person nominated by the Law Society of Kenya; and two persons nominated by the Inter-religious Council of Kenya,” reads the new provision.

The passage of the Bill will set in motion the process of nominating new commissioners to oversee the 2022 elections and a possible referendum under the Building bridges Initiative (BBI).

The Bill is expected to be assented to by the president, and allow the replacement of commissioners who resigned in the wake of the bungled 2017 elections.