Senator Omtatah moves to court to stop IEBC panel activities

Omtatah claims that the selection panel was not assembled according to the law as the entities nominating members did not involve the public.

He says only the parliamentary service commission advertised for the position of the members to the selection panel as is required by the law. 

"All these other bodies went into the boardroom decisions and handpicked people to the panel, to make it worse the chair of the political liaison committee nominated himself, we can't run a country like a kiosk" Omutata said.  

Omtatah also claims that the senate did not pass the IEBC amendment law as required as it was withdrawn from the floor before a vote was taken. 

According to the serial litigant, the withdrawal of the bill by the senate legal committee chair Hillary Sigei was not procedural, and against the standing orders, and therefore the law relied upon to form the selection panel was faulty. 

"I will head to court next week to challenge that amendment, the chair was prevailed upon to withdraw the bill from the house, and no standing order provides for that, therefore that bill was passed without the debate on it and it's an invalid law" Omutata said.

The IEBC selection panel, led by Dr. Nelson Makanda, has already commenced its work, having advertised for the vacant positions of chair and commissioners. 

So far, 169 people have applied for the seven positions.