2027 politics: Eugene Wamalwa tunes radar to IEBC reconstitution
Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa
Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has demanded that the reconstitution of the electoral commission be done strictly in adherence to set rules agreed upon by the bipartisan talks team.
The team constitutes representatives from both President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance and the opposition's side.
According to Mr Wamalwa, Parliament should prioritise the discussion on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), citing constitutional obligations and the imperative need for a fair and independent electoral body.
Mr Wamalwa, who refused to append his signature to the final version of the report citing inadequate proposals, said the National Assembly should also critically discuss the issue of the cost of living, saying a lot of Kenyans were burdened.
"We entered into a dialogue process at Bomas, and unfortunately, they rejected all proposals regarding the cost of living. However, they were able to agree on the creation of new positions.
"Today, we urge parliamentarians to uphold their conscience, especially concerning the National Dialogue Committee report, and place pressure and priority on the issue of IEBC," Mr Wamalwa told journalists at DAP-K offices in Nairobi.
The IEBC selection panel has already said that they will pick up from where they left off—shortlisting those whose applications they had already received, before the process was halted to allow for the bipartisan talks—threatening to further escalate the problems facing the reconstitution of the all-important team.
At stake are key by-elections that have remained undone for almost a year, as well as the constitutional timelines for boundary reviews, whose deadline expires next month, and both of which cannot be done without a fully-constituted IEBC.
While the secretariat is fully in place and led by chief executive Marjan Hussein Marjan, the team alone cannot conduct the by-elections or the boundary review, because the law designates the function to the commissioners, who then direct the staff.
In a press statement, Dr Nelson Makanda who leads the selection panel said they have carried out three stages of verification for all the applications received for the positions of chairperson and members of the IEBC.
"We are in the process of concluding on the shortlisted candidates, before embarking on the publication of the same and subsequent interviews for successful candidates," he said.
Even so, in his statement, Mr Wamalwa insisted that the process to fill the vacancies must be through a bipartisan approach.
"We want to see a bi-partisan approach in terms of constituting an IEBC that commands the respect of all Kenyans.
"As we approach the 2027 elections, where DAP has endorsed me for presidential candidacy, we want to be sure that it will not be a waste of time," said Mr Wamalwa.
The former Defence Minister expressed concern that without an independent and fair IEBC, the democratic process might be compromised, leading to outcomes that do not reflect the will of the people.
"As we go into the 2027 elections, we want to be confident that we have an IEBC that is independent, fair, and capable of delivering a democratic election that respects the will of the people," Wamalwa noted.
