The Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit has joined the opposition in voicing concerns about the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which has dragged on for over two years.
Speaking on Sunday after a church service, the archbishop warned that the country risks compromising the upcoming General Election if the issue is not quickly resolved.
“We will need an IEBC that is completely prepared to handle the elections in good time for procurement purposes and make sure that we run an election by a team that has been trained well enough and in good time to be able to manage that process,” Archbishop Sapit observed.
The vicar noted that many Kenyans, especially new voters, need to be registered to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the 2027 polls.
IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati greeting Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit at the Anglican Church of Kenya Bishops and Senior Clergy conference on April 19, 2022.
Courtesy IEBC
“IEBC needs time to clean up the register. They need time to ensure unregistered Kenyans especially among the youth are registered,” he explained highlighting the urgent need to appoint commissioners to serve in the electoral body.
The Anglican religious leader said the current state of affairs at IEBC amounts to a violation of voters’ rights and should be attended to urgently.
“Having an absence of IEBC is a violation of the rights of Kenyans. Let us put the best interest of the country before our own and when we do that then Kenya will be a good place for all of us,” he appealed.
Separately, opposition leaders led by Kalonzo Musyoka accused President William Ruto of employing what they termed as delay tactics in constituting the electoral body.
Kalonzo refuted claims that he was to blame for a court case that has derailed the reconstitution of IEBC commissioners maintaining his team kept proper timelines and the delays were state-sponsored.
However, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki On Sunday defended the government noting that the lack of a functional IEBC arose from a court injunction that halted the reconstitution of IEBC.
The DP urged parties involved in the case over the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to reach an out-of-court settlement to facilitate the reconstitution of the electoral body.
“I have seen some people blaming the government. This is a country governed by law. When there is an injunction, the government is not able to do anything,” the DP lamented.
There has been mounting pressure from various quotas pushing the government to reconstitute the IEBC commission.
In August, National Liberal Party leader Augustus Kyalo Muli was picked by the Political Parties Liaison Committee as the Azimio representative in the IEBC selection panel, a move that did augur well with the Azimio coalition who wanted Wiper’s Koki Muli in the panel.
The IEBC team at the Bomas of Kenya during the tallying of the 2022 general elections.
Photo
VOA