US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, visited the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan and promised to continue supporting the body’s mandate.

In a statement, Whitman said the US will continue to to support the IEBC’s efforts in fulfilling its mandate to deliver free, fair, inclusive and transparent elections.

Marjan noted that the US as a development partner has been instrumental through its donations and stated that budgetary constraints were still hampering the electoral body in its bid to carry out its mandate effectively.

“We appreciate all development partners and donors for the tremendous support given to the IEBC before, during and after the 2022 General Election. The Commission is confronted with numerous challenges, including budgetary constraints that are hampering its operations,” he observed.

The meeting comes in the wake of the commission being incapable of conducting elections due to its lack of commissioners.

IEBC became dysfunctional when three of its remaining commissioners Abdi Guliye, Boya Molu and Chairman Wafula Chebukati retired in 2023, leaving the CEO whose mandate is to supervise and perform strictly secretariat duties.

The retirement came after four other commissioners of the electoral body; Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya resigned from the IEBC following the disputed 2022 General elections where the cited irregularities.

Several regions remain unrepresented following the row at IEBC including Magarini constituency where the results were nullified and Banisa Constituency where the sitting MP was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident.

Several other regions including the Ugunja constituency remain unrepresented given the incapacity of the IEBC to conduct elections due to the lack of commissioners.

There are seven pending by-elections in various counties following the deaths of the MCAs elected during the 2022 general election.

While President Ruto signed into law the new IEBC Act to set rolling the appointment of a selection panel responsible for choosing commissioners, a petition would be filed in court, halting the process altogether.

Several leaders including protesting Gen Zs had called for the speedy reconstitution of the IEBC to carry out their electoral functions.