The situation, according to investigators, is because four new commissioners will work with the current three (Wafula Chebukati, Professor Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu) to oversee the election which is expected to see a lot of competition. In addition, they will oversee a referendum on the BBI bill expected to take place this year.
According to the IEBC Amendment Act 2020, the Law Society of Tanzania (LSK), the National Council of Sectors (IRCK) and the Parliamentary Services Commission (PSC) are required to appoint representatives to the panel seven days after four IEBC commissioners’ positions. declared public.
LSK is required to nominate one representative, IRCK will nominate two representatives while the PSC will nominate four people; two men and two women, according to the law.
On April 14, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially announced four vacancies on the commission that would need to be filled. The vacancies were filled by Dr Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya, Consolata Nkatha and Roselyn Akombe who resigned after the 2017 general election.
This means that the LSK, IRCK and PSC are required to nominate their representatives to the panel where their names will be submitted to President Uhuru Kenyatta for nomination 21 days after the commissioners’ vacancies are announced. This means that the names of the seven members of the panel will be required to be published in the official gazette on or before May 5, this year.
But as of Saturday, controversy was still raging in the LSK over the issue after two factions within the party submitted different names. The party’s president Nelson Havi nominated Morris Mutua Kimuli while that of Chief Executive Officer Nancy Wambua, who is seeking approval from eight LSK members, nominated Ms Dorothy Jemator.
Mr Havi said Ms Jemator would not make an independent decision because she “has close ties to the Jubilee and ODM parties”.
But Ms Wambua dismissed the allegations, saying Ms Jemator was the best of the 39 lawyers who applied for the position.
“LSK announced the position on April 16 and 39 LSK members submitted applications. When the by-elections were held in front of eight members of the LSK Council, Ms. Jemator won and we will present her name to the PSC. The choice of Havi and his allies was not selected in accordance with the LSK legal system, ”Ms Wambua added.
Divisions have also erupted in the IRCK after the appointment of its chairman, Rev. Joseph Mutie, and Abdullah Fariduun, a Shia Muslim. Rev. Mutie is the Secretary General of the Organization of African Churches (OAIC).
The circles said that the leaders of the major sects in the country have complained about the appointment of the two as members of the IEBC commissioning panel, saying “they will not represent the vision of the majority.”
For its part, the PSC commission said it had already appointed four of its representatives and submitted their names to the relevant organizations.
The Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi, who is chairing the commission, however, did not disclose the names of the four men but assured them that “they represent the interests of all political parties in the National Assembly and the Senate.”
But Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala warned the PSC that it must ensure that the four positions go to all major political parties in the country.
“We as the One Kenya Alliance want to be given the same opportunities as our Tangatanga, Kieleweke and others from the smaller parties . If that does not happen, we will unite to oppose the PSC list, ”he threatened.
However, according to Mr Martin Andati tensions that have begun to emerge in the process of nominating members of the panel to appoint new commissioners are a clear indication that political leaders are planning to control the IEBC commission ahead of the next general election.
