Opposition leaders have made it unequivocally clear that the government must engage with them and seek consensus on the final list of appointments for commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
They expressed serious concerns regarding the selection process, asserting that the panel led by Dr. Nelson Makanda failed to meet the necessary standards for ensuring credible elections.
As the process reaches its final stages, the leaders demand that the selection team “vindicate itself” by publishing a Comprehensive Exit Report and nominating only reputable Kenyans as Chairpersons and Commissioners of the IEBC.
“The government, which claims to be broad-based, cannot simply consult among its own ranks. They must engage with the Opposition,” they declared in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, April 29th.
The closed-door meeting was held at a Nairobi city hotel brought together by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and Ex-Interior Security Chief Fred Matiang’i.
Hon.Martha Karua, Former Attorney General Justin Muturi, Mithika Linturi, Eugene Wamalwa, Dr.Mukhisa Kituyi, and Torome Saitoti were also in attendance.
They stressed that there’s a need to set up a Commission that inspires the confidence of Kenyans and accedes to the demands of all stakeholders.
President William Ruto will appoint one of the two names the selection panel will submit for appointment as IEBC Chairperson.
The group further castigated the arbitrary and brutal killing of five citizens during a fierce clash between GSU officers and residents of TransMara West SubCounty.
According to the opposition leaders, the dispute arose over a 6,800-acre piece of land historically owned by the local community.
“We call on the government to protect and respect the rights to individual and communal land ownership as stipulated in Articles 60, 63, and 64 of the Kenyan Constitution (2010),” the statement reads in part.
These constitutional provisions, they added, enshrine the principles of equitable access to land.
“We remind the National Police Service and all national security agencies to uphold their constitutional duty: protect the lives, property, and dignity of Kenyans-not to serve as instruments of oppression,” they stated.
They termed the scathing expose by the BBC’s documentary titled ‘Blood Parliament’ as clear evidence that ‘the execution of peaceful protestors in June 2024 was premeditated, sanctioned at the highest levels, and executed by sanctions of security agencies.’
“Kenyans have lost complete trust in the accountability mechanisms, and we call for an Investigative Commission that includes State and Non-State Actors to hold the rogue officers accountable,” they demand.
