With just hours before the by-election in Bungoma County to replace Moses Wetangula as senator, Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni’s announcement that his party won’t be joining the rest of the Azimio team to seek the senatorial seat was accompanied by a categorical revelation which roped in Chief Justice Martha Koome and what she said about IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati.
In a press briefing, Kioni claimed that during the September 5th Supreme Court ruling, the apex court found that Chebukati had not consulted with all the other commissioners appropriately, and so this meant that they couldn’t trust their fate in such a person to conduct a free and fair contest.
Interestingly, despite Kioni’s remarks, what the Supreme Court is known to have done was direct the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to develop institutionalised guidelines that separate its administrative and policy functions.
The apex court, during its full judgement delivered by email, recommended a review of the commission’s guidelines that clearly spells out the policy, strategy, and oversight responsibility of the Chairperson and the Commissioners.
“The IEBC ought to effect formal internal guidelines that clearly delineate the policy, strategy, and oversight responsibility of the Chairperson and the Commissioners; and develop institutionalised guidelines on how to manage the separation of administrative and policy domains,” read the judgement in part.
The court directed the roles of the commission’s chairperson, commissioners, and the Chief Executive Officer, other staff and third parties should be clearly set out in both the legislative and administrative edicts.
It further called on Parliament to consider enhancing the statutory and regulatory framework on the separate policy and administrative remit of IEBC.
Ford Kenya, led by Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula who quit the Bungoma seat after landing the Speaker job, is fronting Wafula Wakoli who served as a teacher and later a long-term personal aide to Wetang’ula.
Azimio camp is supporting DAP-K party leader Wafula Wamunyinyi to grab the seat from Kenya Kwanza.
UDA party fronted ex-Bumula MP Mwambu Mabonga for the seat.
The Bungoma poll will be conducted on December 8.
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