The Senate has approved the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Amendment Bill 2022.
Senators passed the bill as forwarded by the National Assembly without any changes.
28 Senators voted in support of the the Bill while 7 were against.
The IEBC Bill seeks to change the composition of the selection panel that oversees the filling of vacant positions in the Commission.
It was sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa.
Members of the National Assembly passed the bill in 2022.
The Bill proposes the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) should have two slots, the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya two and one slot each for the Public Service Commission (PSC), Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) and Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
In the current law, PSC had four slots in the panel.
The members were picked by parliamentary parties from the majority and minority parties.
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With the Bill having been approved by both the Houses of Parliament, it will now be forwarded to President William Ruto who could assent it to law by Friday or latest Monday ahead of the declaration of the vacancy at the electoral body.
Currently IEBC has no serving commissioner.
IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye retired on Tuesday after serving for six years .
Commissioners Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi resigned in the wake of their suspension.
Commissioner Irene Masit faced the Justice Aggrey Muchelule led tribunal and is waiting for its verdict.
Section 7A (2) of the IEBC Act provides that the President shall declare vacancy in the commission within seven days of occurrence of a vacancy in the office of the chairperson or a member of the commission.
