Azimio Politician Roped in IEBC Selection Panel Stalemate Offers Solution

As the debate over the delay in reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) intensifies, an Azimio coalition member at the center of the standoff has revealed what needs to be done to break the stalemate.

Currently, there are two matters at the Court of Appeal and the High Court blocking the nomination of the 9 members of the IEBC selection panel by President William Ruto.

The matter before the Court of Appeal involves National Liberal Party (NLP) leader Augustus Kyallo Muli who has been at the center of the deadlock due to the fallout on the composition of the selection panel.

According to the Constitution, the process of recruiting IEBC commissioners must start after the selection panel is in place.

The commission has been without commissioners since March 2023, when Irene Masit who was the last commissioner was forced out.

The rest of the commissioners’ terms had ended with others forced to resign.

It has been over two months since President Ruto assented to the IEBC Bill, which set the stage for the reconstitution of the electoral body through the appointment of commissioners and a chairperson in preparation for the 2027 general election.

The nomination process for the IEBC selection panel, responsible for recruiting the commissioners, has however hit a ditch.

Kyallo roped in IEBC Selection Panel stalemate

While all the groups have given names of their representatives to the 9-member panel, the battle in and out of court between Ambassador Koki Muli and Augustus Muli from the Azimio side, on whom the two should represent the minority party continues. 

Kyallo, who felt shortchanged by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition for forwarding the name of Koki Muli to parliament for the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) nominee slot, has asked the Court of Appeal to have his name instead presented.

Also Read: Gachagua Issues Ultimatum on Formation of IEBC

Koki Muli has however stood her ground with part of Azimio maintaining Muli is the right candidate after meeting the requisite requirements and since the other nominees in the PPLC are of the male gender.

While speaking during an interview on Monday December 9, 2024, Kyallo blamed the Azimio leadership for the stalemate while offering a solution to ensure the process kicks off.

The NLP party leader stood his ground that he was the duly elected nominee for the panel and that a faction of top Azimio leadership went ahead to bypass him for a more favorable candidate.

“The way forward is that the nominating body is not Azimio. The Azimio leadership has been trying to push for their own people. The nominating body is Political Parties Liaison Committee. What happened the leadership did a selection of who they felt was good but the rest of Azimio refused. I did not elect myself I was elected by 16 members of Azimio Koki Muli only got 7,” he said.

Also Read: Kalonzo Exposes 2 Individuals Sabotaging IEBC Reconstitution

He further gave a way forward on what he is ready to do to ensure that the IEBC Selection panel is constituted, with the recruitment of commissioners kickstarting in turn.

Offers solution after uproar

According to him, the stalemate can be resolved through mediation.

“The Azimio leadership are trying to put a candidate down the throats of PPLC but the rest of Azimio has said no. I am committed to resolve this even today, even tomorrow we can meet up.

I am willing to sit today meet before the church and elect an independent person who is not going to be there for Kalonzo. He is going to be there for the entire Azimio which has three parties. I had been elected, and I am willing to leave this position.”

His remarks come at a time leaders and Kenyans in general have been calling for the reconstitution of IEBC.

Kenyans took to social media in support Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola’s call to have the IEBC reconstituted with urgency, under the hashtag #AppointIEBCNow on the X-social media platform.