President William Ruto will on Tuesday sign the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Unlike in the past, when such events have taken place at State House, Nairobi, Ruto will assent to the Bill at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
This will pave the way for the process of appointment of the selection panel, which will recruit the electoral body’s new commissioners.
State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the IEBC Bill is the first that was processed by Parliament based on the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco).
The report was a product of a bipartisan team consisting of leaders from President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza and opposition chief Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka led Mr Odinga’s team while National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah led president Ruto’s troops in the talks.
Mohamed said Ruto has invited leaders of parliamentary parties, both inside and outside Parliament, to join him for the Tuesday event which he termed as historic.
“The first Bill passed by Parliament based on the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report will be signed into law at the KICC,” Mohamed said Monday evening.
Kenya Kwanza was represented by Mr Ichungw’ah, as the delegation leader, deputised by the Embu Governor, Cecily Mbarire.
Other members were Senator Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Hassan Omar (EALA), and Bungoma Woman Rep Catherine Wambilianga.
The Azimio team was led by Musyoka, deputised by the Leader of Minority in the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi.
Other Azimio members were DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa, who, however, did not sign the report, Amina Mnyazi (Malindi) and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni.
Last week, Wandayi who confirmed he had been invited to the event at KICC piled pressure on Ruto to implement the Nadco report before another set of dialogue is carried out in the country.
This followed Ruto’s move to announce the formation of the multi-sectoral committee to look into the issues raised by Kenyans during the recent anti-tax protests.
Wandayi said it was unfortunate that almost seven months after the Nadco team presented its report, it was yet to be implemented.
“Out of the nine Bills crafted by the Nadco team, the IEBC amendment Bill is the only one that has been
implemented based on my knowledge, the eight others are in limbo,” Wandayi said.
Nadco was established last year after former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo brokered a truce between President Ruto and Mr Odinga after weeks of anti-government protests.
Ahead of the planned signing of the Bill, security was enhanced in the city as groups planned a protest to the IEBC offices.
Police blocked major roads and patrolled others as part of the efforts to address the protests.
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