Meeting of multi-sectoral forum on elections postponed amid IEBC exit

A meeting of the national multi-sectoral consultative forum on election preparedness on Tuesday aborted.

The meeting failed to take place amid the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) bombshell withdrawing from the team.

While the commission claimed interference and infringement on its mandate, the multi-agency team said the Tuesday meeting was postponed to pave way for the State of the Nation address.

The multi-sectoral team on election preparedness meeting was meant to approve budget lines for various ministries and State departments in the team.

The budgets had been rejected at the last meeting held two weeks ago. Tuesday’s meeting that was to be chaired by Chief Justice Martha Koome was to harmonise the budgets ahead of the rollout plan of the election roadmap.

The meeting aborted in what sources claimed was to pave way for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s the State of the Nation address.

But the team’s plans have run into headwinds after its principal stakeholder IEBC pulled the plug and withdrew from the team.

The commission blamed the team for hijacking and interfering with its mandate and infringing on its independence.

Sources within the electoral commission said they were not aware of Tuesday’s meeting as they had not been invited. The commission also skipped the multi-sectoral election team meeting held two weeks ago.

In Parliament, the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Vice Chairperson Otiende Amollo backed IEBC’s decision to withdraw from the committee.

The Rarieda Member of Parliament said the commission’s independence in planning for the forthcoming general election cannot be gainsaid.

“Whereas the IEBC is the primary organ responsible for elections, there is nothing contradictory with its independence for it to be part of a general committee that is trying to ensure that the election is smooth provided they are not compelled to do anything that they don’t want to do,” said the legislator.

In withdrawing from the team, the electoral body protested the terms of reference for the multi-agency team.

IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati claimed the rules of engagement bordered on the commission’s mandate on planning and preparing for election.

The technical working team on elections terms of reference include promote consultations, collaborations and co-ordination in election preparedness, advise government on the resources required for the general election and co-ordinate electoral assistance by development partners.

Likewise, the team is to facilitate the legal reforms required in the conducting the general elections, facilitate the provision of necessary information, communication and technological infrastructure concerting elections among others.

A move IEBC warns will dent the credibility of the forthcoming general elections given the heavy involvement of other State agencies encroaching on its mandate. This the commission said will derail its ability to deliver a free fair and credible elections.

While the judiciary has defended the inclusion of Chief Justice Martha Koome in election preparation committee, the judiciary has a committee on election headed by Supreme Court Judge Mohammed Ibrahim.

The judiciary committee on election has pronounced itself as being standby to deal with any election matters arising from the forthcoming general election.