Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has asserted that there is a lack of political goodwill to implement the National Dialogue Committee report, particularly concerning the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The former Vice President stated that the ongoing delays in restructuring the electoral agency demonstrate that the Kenya Kwanza administration is disinterested in executing the recommendations made by the dialogue team.
Kalonzo made these remarks during a national conference focused on finalizing electoral reforms in preparation for the 2027 elections. He emphasized that the passage of the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which is one of the key legislative actions recommended by the National Dialogue Committee, should have been immediately followed by the formation of the new agency.
“Despite the IEBC (Amendment) Bill, 2023 being signed into law, we still lack the commission to implement essential electoral improvements,” Kalonzo said. He added, “Political goodwill is lacking, and institutional interference has prevented Kenyans from having a fully operational IEBC.”
Kalonzo pointed out that the ongoing delay in reconstituting the IEBC has significantly hindered various operations, including conducting by-elections, boundary delimitation, and reviewing numerous policy texts. The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal recently granted orders to Augustus Muli following a request from Azimio to have him removed from the IEBC Selection Panel list provided by political parties.
The Political Parties Liaison Committee had nominated its chairman Evans Misati, Nicodemus Bore of UDA, and Augustus Muli as representatives. However, Azimio requested the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to replace Augustus with Koki Muli, arguing that the list currently lacked female representation, violating the two-thirds gender guideline, and claiming he did not pass the party’s vetting process.
Yesterday, Kalonzo stated that the tribunal made a mistake by issuing orders that have stalled this crucial process. “In my view, the minority coalition party—Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party—in submitting their representative’s name, not only adhered to the two-thirds gender guideline but also engaged in a competitive and transparent process as mandated by law to select their nominee,” he asserted.
“As a result, the Parliamentary Service Commission should proceed to forward Amb Koki Muli’s name as Azimio’s nominee for the minority party to the IEBC Selection Panel, as presented by the PPLC.”
The Wiper boss also demanded a thorough review of the past electoral malpractices, which he noted has dented the country’s electoral image.
“The past grievances that have tainted our elections must be addressed,” Kalonzo said.
“Election-related disputes and discontent are a sign the public faith in the system has not yet been completely earned; they are not personal grievances. While the 2022 elections were relatively calm and orderly, they revealed flaws that, as 2027 approaches, we cannot afford to overlook.”
He said some of the challenges could be well addressed by the Nadco recommendations on electoral justice and related matters.
