How politics has undermined IEBC making it partisan arbiter

In Kenya, even though we love football, we do not play our politics in the same manner. We have politicised and made the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), our referee, a partisan institution. It does not even operate like other constitutional commissions and independent offices. This is because of involving politicians and political parties in the appointment of Commissioners of IEBC. Even the members of the Selection Panel, established under the IEBC Act are partisan.

They represent groupings, identified because of their interests in the electoral process and management of elections! Some are even associated by word or deed or philosophy with the political elite. That is why, every time we are selecting and appointing commissioners, even as we go through the motions of advertising, shortlisting, interviewing and recommending names, ostensibly based of credentials and merits; people can long before interviews are even conducted, predict with accuracy and precision who will be appointed as commissioners of IEBC by scanning the lists of shortlisted names.

Voting material at Kakamega Hill School ahead of the 2017 election. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

After elections, the rewards are "worthy" the efforts. The losers in the elections are totally vanquished and the winners take all. This is why the perennial problems with IEBC will never end. Unless, we completely delink the selection and appointment of commissioners from politicians or other groupings with sectarian interests to safeguard. Religious institutions are sadly no exception.

While the Parliamentary and the Judicial Service Commissions may not be perfect, the outcomes of their selections/interviews processes are respected and are not subject to intense politicisation that we see with IEBC. Perhaps, it is time we established an independent constitutional commissions/Independent Offices Service Commission to deal with all matters relating to selection/appointments and promotions.