MPs to comb through IEBC bill then table their findings

Joint committees of the National Assembly and Senate will from tomorrow and Thursday start scrutinising the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) amendment Bill 2024.

The Bill was established as a result of the bipartisan talks between the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Opposition Azimio la Umoja.

During tomorrow’s session, National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) and Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Right will prepare the ground work and set rules to scrutinise the Bill which is set to undergo public participation.

JLAC chairperson and Tharaka MP George Murugara said they will meet various stakeholders on Thursday to get their views before preparing the final report.

Stakeholders set to appear include those in the electoral system including, IEBC, Attorney General, Registrar of Political parties and civil society.

“On Wednesday, April 17 and Thursday, 18, JLAC National Assembly and JLAC Senate will meet. On Wednesday we will actually be setting grounds for the meeting and on Thursday we will be meeting various stakeholders in the electoral system. This includes, the IEBC itself, Registrar of Political Parties, Office of the attorney general, and others, what we are doing public participation on is the IEBC Bill,” Murugara told journalists yesterday.

Third time

This will be the third time the joint committee would be meeting after the second one failed to kick off due to quorum hitches.

MPs found themselves alone as senators skipped the proceedings as they were said to have been busy dealing with the impeachment motion of Kisii Deputy Governor Robert Monda.

Besides the IEBC Bill, the JLAC National Assembly will consider another four Bills including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Leader of Opposition Bill, 2024, and National Government Coordination (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

On the other hand, Bills that will be introduced in the Senate include the Elections Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Statutory Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Committee had been given 45 days from March 6 to deal with the bills.

IEBC Bill, sponsored by both Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa and his Minority counterpart Opiyo Wandayi is also proposing an audit of elections after every General Election, provide quorum of the commission, give the term limits of the Secretary to the commission as well as expand the qualifications of a commissioner.