A section of Jubilee Members of Parliament yesterday made a radical proposal as the replacement for electoral commission chairman Issack Hassan, naming retired head of the Anglican Church of Kenya Eliud Wabukala as fit to fill the position.
Led by Water and Irrigation Cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, the leaders said Dr Wabukala was best suited to take the leadership of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) once Hassan leaves.
Hassan and eight other commissioners offered to leave their positions last week on an amicable deal, provided that the joint parliamentary select committee probing IEBC does not find them at fault for any allegations touching on the 2013 General Election.
The commissioners are expected to leave in a negotiated deal that will include a full-term payoff, paving way for reconstitution of the electoral body.
However, the mode of filling of the slots afresh is expected to come from the report of the joint committee that has gone into recess to compile its final findings. Both sides of the political divide, Jubilee and Cord coalitions, and other stakeholders are expected to play a major role in the reconstitution.
Speaking in what was apparently a pre-mature proposal ahead of the select committee’s final report, the MPs said a person of Wabulaka’s stature would fit the IEBC chairperson’s bill.
Others who backed the calls were MPs, Ayub Savula (Lugari), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo) and Stephen Kariuki (Mathare). “Wabukala headed a big constituency and exhibited quality leadership before he retired without administrative blemish.
That is why we are proposing his name to be among others that will be mentioned,” said Savula. Kuria said the proposal was their opinion and many other names would be expected to come up when the process starts. They were speaking at the compound of the Pan Paper Mills where Wamalwa commissioned a water project.
And speaking separately in Kigumo, Murang’a county, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, proposed that the religious leaders should lead the new electoral team.
“The religious leaders would be more credible to lead the way, they have been consistent in the electoral reforms and would be better placed to serve in the new team,” Muturi said. And Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula said the Opposition will work with the government side towards achieving electoral reforms.
“For the process to proceed smoothly, both our side and the government should work together for the planned reforms to be achieved ahead of the elections in August next year,” Wetangula said in Bungoma yesterday.
Last week, after the joint select committee on electoral reforms reached an agreement with the commissioners on an out-of-office settlement, the commissioners led by Hassan now await the committee’s report to be tabled in Parliament for adoption after which it will be implemented.
The committee has begun a series of in-house meetings to work out details of the negotiated settlement for the commissioners. The committee, headed by senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, is currently holed up at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi to start the negotiations on the amendments to electoral laws as they also work out details of the exit package for the nine-member team.
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