The National Assembly has rejected a move by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to revise regulations to guide the conduct of the August 9 election.
IEBC Wafula Chebukati wanted parliament to help pass legislation to seal loopholes that led to the nullification of the 2017 Presidential Election by the Supreme Court.
IEBC had presented five sets of regulations for consideration and approval by MPs.
However, the House Committee on Delegation Legislation led by William Kamket (Tiaty, Kanu) recommended that the MPs reject the Draft Elections (Registration of Voters)(Amendment) Regulations, 2022; the Draft Elections (General)(Amendment) Regulations, 2022; the Draft Elections (Voter Education) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022; the Draft Elections (Party Nominations and Party Lists)(Amendment) Regulations, 2022; and, the Draft Elections (Technology)(Amendment) Regulations, 2022 respectively.
MPs blamed the IEBC for submitting proposals out of the statutory timelines.
IEBC had warned the country could be staring at another nullification of presidential election results unless MPs reviewed rules on the conduct of elections and transmission of presidential results.
The Chebukati led commission wanted MPs to pass a law that would allow alternative means of transmitting presidential results in the event that electronic transmission failed.
IEBC had proposed amendments to the Elections Act to allow it to put “contemporary mechanisms for identification of voters and transmission of the results of the election” at its disposal.
