Africa-Press – Kenya. Parliamentary Service Commission will pick only one person to sit in the IEBC selection panel if Parliament approves a proposal by a Senate Committee.
Senate’s Justice and Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee wants the slots reserved for PSC slashed to one, from the current four. They have amended the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that reduced the slots for the commission from four to two.
The Bill seeks to change the composition of the selection panel that will recruit IEBC commissioners. At least six positions, including that of the chairperson, are up for grabs following the retirement of Wafula Chebukati, Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye. Three commissioners have also resigned. They are Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyangáya and Francis Wanderi.
“The committee recommends that the Bill be amended to reduce the nominees by the Parliamentary Service Commission from two to one. The panel chaired by Biomet Senator Hilary Sigei also recommended that Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) gets two slots. In the current law, PPLC does not have a slot. However, the Bill was allocated one slot in the seven-member panel.
“The Committee recommend that the Bill further be amended to provide for two persons to be nominated by the majority and minority represented at PPLC,” the report reads.“This will ensure that the conflict of interest posed by the IEBC’s participation in the PPLC is eliminated.”
“….by specifying that only political parties would be involved in nominating persons to the selection panel excluding IEBC and office of registrar of political parties who are members of the PPLC at the national level.”
The committee wants the inter-religious council to get two slots. The council shall pick people of the opposite gender. Majority and Minority parties under PPLC will also pick persons of the opposite gender if the Bill is approved.
Senators are currently debating the committee report as they seek to conclude their consideration of the Bill later on Thursday. The President has until Tuesday next week to declare the vacant positions at the commission. This will pave the way for the recruitment of new commissioners.
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