IEBC Selection Panel: What next after High Court ruling?

The road to setting up of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel is still not clear, with all eyes now on the Court of Appeal that is expected to give directions on an appeal lodged by Augustus Muli against Koki Muli of the Wiper party.

The civil case in the Appellate court now stands on the way of the long and protracted exercise of recruiting new commissioners.

The Appellate court has now set the hearing for Tuesday, January 28, by a three-judge bench. It is however not clear if the court will clear the remaining hurdles or the hearing and determination of the appeal will take longer.

The case by Augustus Muli of the National Liberal Party has opposed the inclusion of Koki Muli of Wiper to the selection panel.

According to the case by Augustus Muli and the Azimio coalition, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) did not grant Amb. Koki Muli the right to be heard and that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to hear the complaint before it.

The appellant further adds that PPDT selected a stranger to represent Azimio in the case and that it did not affirm the two-thirds gender rule and usurped the role of Azimio in picking its nominee to the IEBC selection panel.

The National Liberal Party and its leader Augustus Muli challenged a decision by the High Court which held that he won in the election by Azimio parties but in the wrong category.

The ruling by the High Court, in effect, handed Wiper party a chance to nominate its candidate - Koki Muli - to the hiring panel.

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has in the past accused the government of using proxies to undermine the process and delay it all together.

Should the Court of Appeal give a nod for the gazzetment of the 9 nominees, then they will be pressed with time to have the names ready for submission to the President for appointment with exactly two years and 7 months left to the next General Election.