Review laws and fund IEBC for smooth polls

Credibility of an election is predicated on the level of preparedness. Core to this is funding and the legal framework that provides a conducive environment for voting. Critical logistical requirements have to be put in place early to avoid last-minute crashes. The question of election preparation is germane to Kenyans and has to be deliberated and settled.

The country goes for an election next August, some 10 months away, but there are strong indications that many elements have not been put in place. There are too many loose ends that have to be tied together to avoid a crisis as we have witnessed in the past.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), there are two issues that threaten to derail the voting process unless they are resolved. First, the commission has submitted a raft of laws to Parliament for review and enactment to facilitate a transparent, fair and credible polls. But these have not been discussed and ratified. Moreover, there are no indications that they will be prioritised in the current session.

In terms of best practice, new electoral laws ought to be legislated upon two years before the polls to provide time for creating structures for their implementation and allowing the players to familiarise themselves with them. This is not possible within the remaining months.

Secondly, IEBC made budgetary proposals to the National Treasury, seeking Sh40 billion for the polls. This was drastically slashed to Sh26.3 billion.

This means some vital activities may not be carried out to the detriment of fair elections. For sure, Kenya is facing a cash crunch and every sector has to cut spending. This calls for rationalisation but not arbitrary cuts.

Parliament should prioritise and legislate on the pending electoral laws while the National Treasury needs to review budgetary allocation to ensure the commission is properly funded to guarantee credible elections.