Church leaders in Kenya’s Lower Eastern Region have called for swift action on key issues plaguing the country, including matters regarding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Lower Eastern Region recently held a conference on April 5, in Machakos, bringing together delegates from Kajiado, Kitui, Machakos, and Makueni counties.

The conference, which was guided by the theme “Dignified Livelihoods, Resilient Communities (Galatians 6: 9)”, focused on key issues affecting the region.

One of the pressing issues discussed during the conference was the failure to constitute the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which the church leaders described as a breach of the Constitution of Kenya.

Constitution of the IEBC

The NCCK in an official statement made on 5th April, emphasized that the failure to constitute the IEBC has resulted in a constitutional crisis.

In particular, the church leaders raised concerns about the timelines for boundary review being breached due to continued delays in the constitution of the electoral commission.

In addition, the clerics took issue with delays in adoption of a framework to ensure gender parity, stating that the National Assembly and the Senate are unconstitutional due to the failure to adhere to the two thirds gender rule.

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“This Regional Conference is shocked at the blatant and callous manner in which the Constitution of Kenya is being breached by the same people who took an oath to protect it.”

“The failure to constitute the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is breaching the rights of the people of Kenya in the following ways: One, the timelines for boundaries review have been breached, and Kenya is currently in a constitutional crisis in that regard.”

“Two, the National Assembly and the Senate are unconstitutional to the extent that they have not adhered the two thirds gender rule.”

NCCK’s plea to President Ruto

Furthermore, the NCCK Lower Eastern Region urged President William Ruto to facilitate the completion of the recruitment of the IEBC Commissioners, emphasizing that the Constitution of Kenya must be protected by those who took an oath to uphold it.

“In view of these breaches of the Constitution, we call upon His Excellency President William Ruto to facilitate the completion of the recruitment of the IEBC Commissioners,” they added.

“The setting up of this crucial body should not be reduced to a mere political pawn.”

NADCO Report Concerns

Additionally, the leaders expressed concern over the lack of public awareness of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, which was completed and submitted to Parliament, and subsequently adopted.

“We are however deeply concerned that Kenyans, whose lives will be radically changed by the reforms proposed in the report, are not aware of those proposals.”

“We do indeed have a strong fear that even the Members of Parliament who adopted the report are not fully aware of its contents, having watched a number of them confess that they did not read the Finance Bill 2023 before they passed it,” further read the statement.

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They called upon Hon. Moses Wetangula and Hon. Amason Kingi, the speakers of the National Assembly and Senate, to facilitate the validation of the report by Kenyans, emphasizing that all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya.