Mudavadi absolves Ruto in IEBC reconstitution debacle
By Arnold Ngure, January 23, 2025
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has absolved President William Ruto of any wrongdoing in the delayed reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Speaking on Thursday, January 23, 2025, during Ruto’s tour of the Western Kenya region, Mudavadi noted that
Many people have stated that President William Ruto has refused to reconstitute the IEBC. Yet, these are the same people who went to court to delay the reconstitution,” Mudavadi said.
“Ruto has no case in court barring the reconstitution of the IEBC. We are pleading with all those people in court over IEBC reconstitution to withdraw their cases so that we can have the electoral body,” he added.
Democratic country
“We are in a democratic country and Ruto cannot act outside of the law. He is obligated to only act after the determination of the pending court cases.”
The reconstitution of IEBC hit a snag after Azimio la Umoja Coalition attempted to replace its nominee Augustus Muli of the National Liberal Party (NLP) and replace him with Koki Muli to achieve a gender balance.
Augustus Muli would rush to the court to stall the reconstitution process, throwing a spanner in the works and leading to the delay of the forwarding of the names of the 9-member selection panel members for gazettement.
By law, the IEBC selection panel is required to have nine members representing the majority party, the minority party, the inter-religious body, a representative of the Law Society of Kenya, a representative of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICPAK), a representative of the non-parliamentary political parties and two representatives of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
Calls for reconstitution
On January 14, 2025, LSK president Faith Odhiambo issued demands to the government to expedite the reconstitution of the electoral body.
”The current voter register demands immediate action. Discrepancies, including deceased voters, invalid identification documents, and double registrations were revealed in audits conducted in 2017 and 2022,” LSK stated.
”Additionally, the implementation of election technology is stalled. The Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS), which uses technology for voter registration, identification, and results transmission, needs to be updated and fully operationalized,” the statement added.
The commission remained paralyzed after the resignation of its former Chairman Wafula Chebukati in January 2023 and the expiry of the terms of its commissioners.
The delayed reconstitution of the electoral body has left the residents of Banisa, Magarini and Ugunja constituencies without representation.