Chebukati, ex-IEBC commissioners to appear before National Dialogue Committee

Former IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati when he appeared before the Justice Aggrey Mchelule Tribunal at KICD on January 24, 2023. [Silas Otieno, Standard]

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati will lead former commissioners of the electoral body in appearing before the National Dialogue Committee on Thursday, September 28.

Chebukati will be joined by former Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera as well as former commissioners Abdi Guliye, Boya Molu, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang'aya.

The ex-commissioners will make submissions regarding the management of elections to the committee comprising of members from the ruling Kenya Kwanza and the Opposition Azimio la Umoja coalition.

The Council of Governors, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, the Media Council of Kenya, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research Analysis are also expected to make their submissions today.

Others are lobby groups Amnesty International and Transparency International.

The committee which is holding its sittings at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, is made up of 10 members, five from each side of the political divide.

It signed a framework agreement on August 30 that meant the members were to hold talks within 60 days and submit a report to Parliament for consideration.

It is deliberating on issues the Raila Odinga-led Azimio coalition raised with President William Ruto's administration which include the high cost of living.

Azimio also wants the 2022 General election results audited, as it maintains that its candidates Odinga and Martha Karua won the polls.

They also want the reconstitution of IEBC, following the retirement of Chebukati, Molu, and Guliye as well as the resignation of Wanderi, Cherera and Nyang'aya and the ouster of Masit.

On its part, Kenya Kwanza listed the reconstitution of the IEBC, the entrenchment of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in the law and the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule as issues they want to be discussed.

After deliberations, the committee agreed to dialogue electoral justice, cost of living, and fidelity to the Political Parties Act outlawing the meddling of parties by the ruling coalition or party.

Others are the entrenchment of CDF as well as the offices of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Opposition leader in the constitution.

The committee has been collecting views from Kenyans on the aforementioned issues.