Photo/FILE Eldoret North MP William Ruto addresses a crowd during a rally in Bomet.
By KITAVI MUTUA kitavimutua@gmail.com
Posted Sunday, October 30 2011 at 22:00
Names of proposed members of the electoral commission will have a rough time sailing through Parliament after some MPs vowed to reject them.
The MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto said the list of nominees, which was submitted by President Kibaki to Parliament for vetting and approval was skewed.
The MPs claimed that the list does not meet the religious and gender balances as required by the Act that sets up the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“We’ll not approve to task such a skewed team to manage our elections. We’ll reject the whole body in Parliament because other faiths have been left out” said Mr Silas Muriuki, the Meru South MP.
He was speaking at a church fund-raiser in Kitui Town, attended by Mr Ruto, Mr Muriuki, Mr Mithika Linturi (Igembe North), Mr Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central) and Mr Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito).
The MPs vowed to vote against the motion to nominate the new polls team once it is taken to Parliament.
Last week, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga chose current Interim Independent Electoral Commission boss Ahmed Isaack Hassan to continue in his position at the commission.(READ: IEBC nominees face Parliament)
They also nominated Dr Yusuf Nzibo, Mr Mohammed Alawi, Mr Abdulahi Sharawe, Ms Lillian Bokeeye, Mr Thomas Letangule, Ms Muthoni Wangai, Mr Albert Bwire and Ms Galma Godana to sit on the IEBC as commissioners.
If approved by Parliament, the nine-member team will preside over the 2012 General Election, the first such assignment under the new Constitution.The names are now being vetted by the parliamentary Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) which will table its report in the House on Thursday.
The MPs on Sunday claimed the team was dominated by Muslims from one region and yet majority of the Kenyan population is Christian and that it would defeat the intended purpose of restoring confidence in our electoral systems.
Mr Mwaita said five out of the nine new commissioners were Muslim and that Kenyans would have no confidence in the commission because its composition was a clear discrimination against Christians.
“Similar blunders were done last time when the Kivuitu team was picked without regard to proper representation. It ended up messing up the elections because they were serving particular political interests and Kenyans had no confidence in them” he said.
He added: “Christians form 70 per cent of the country’s population and if the team is not reconstituted it will therefore be a one faith, one region affair.
Mr Linturi and Mr Kiema said women had also been discriminated against and it was crucial to correct the mistakes which violate the constitutional gender parity rule.
However, Mr Ruto differed with them saying it was too late to make changes to the nominations. He said he voiced concerns over the process earlier when the selection panel was appointed.
Mr Ruto said the country missed the first step of constituting the panel that interviewed the commissioners and chairperson candidates saying it was biased and serving certain political interests.
“I don’t want to contradict my colleagues, their concerns are legitimate but it is too late to change the process now and parliament will have no option other than approving the names” he said.
Posted Sunday, October 30 2011 at 22:00
Names of proposed members of the electoral commission will have a rough time sailing through Parliament after some MPs vowed to reject them.
The MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto said the list of nominees, which was submitted by President Kibaki to Parliament for vetting and approval was skewed.
The MPs claimed that the list does not meet the religious and gender balances as required by the Act that sets up the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“We’ll not approve to task such a skewed team to manage our elections. We’ll reject the whole body in Parliament because other faiths have been left out” said Mr Silas Muriuki, the Meru South MP.
He was speaking at a church fund-raiser in Kitui Town, attended by Mr Ruto, Mr Muriuki, Mr Mithika Linturi (Igembe North), Mr Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central) and Mr Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito).
The MPs vowed to vote against the motion to nominate the new polls team once it is taken to Parliament.
Last week, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga chose current Interim Independent Electoral Commission boss Ahmed Isaack Hassan to continue in his position at the commission.(READ: IEBC nominees face Parliament)
They also nominated Dr Yusuf Nzibo, Mr Mohammed Alawi, Mr Abdulahi Sharawe, Ms Lillian Bokeeye, Mr Thomas Letangule, Ms Muthoni Wangai, Mr Albert Bwire and Ms Galma Godana to sit on the IEBC as commissioners.
If approved by Parliament, the nine-member team will preside over the 2012 General Election, the first such assignment under the new Constitution.The names are now being vetted by the parliamentary Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) which will table its report in the House on Thursday.
The MPs on Sunday claimed the team was dominated by Muslims from one region and yet majority of the Kenyan population is Christian and that it would defeat the intended purpose of restoring confidence in our electoral systems.
Mr Mwaita said five out of the nine new commissioners were Muslim and that Kenyans would have no confidence in the commission because its composition was a clear discrimination against Christians.
“Similar blunders were done last time when the Kivuitu team was picked without regard to proper representation. It ended up messing up the elections because they were serving particular political interests and Kenyans had no confidence in them” he said.
He added: “Christians form 70 per cent of the country’s population and if the team is not reconstituted it will therefore be a one faith, one region affair.
Mr Linturi and Mr Kiema said women had also been discriminated against and it was crucial to correct the mistakes which violate the constitutional gender parity rule.
However, Mr Ruto differed with them saying it was too late to make changes to the nominations. He said he voiced concerns over the process earlier when the selection panel was appointed.
Mr Ruto said the country missed the first step of constituting the panel that interviewed the commissioners and chairperson candidates saying it was biased and serving certain political interests.
“I don’t want to contradict my colleagues, their concerns are legitimate but it is too late to change the process now and parliament will have no option other than approving the names” he said.
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