NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9 – The blame game between the government and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka over the delay in reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ahead of the 2027 elections has intensified.
This is after Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura’s called on the Azimio Coalition to withdraw a court injunction blocking the formation of the IEBC Selection Panel to allow the government proceed with the reconstitution process.
“Wiper Party should agree with its members and select a candidate for the selection committee,” Mwaura said during his weekly news conference.
He has now called for an intra-party dialogue.
“There’s no need to go to court; let’s resolve this matter and move forward,” he said.
Kalonzo for his part, claims that the ruling Kenya Kwanza government is using the National Labour Party’s Augustus Kyalo to frustrate the process through a case he filed in the Court of Appeal.
The Azimio co-principal insisted that NLP must withdraw its case blocking Wiper’s Koki Muli from joining the IEBC Selection Panel, arguing that NLP is not a parliamentary party.
“If Muli’s party has any member in Parliament, then we would like to hear about it, because that is one of the things that were adjudicated. So, this attempt to blame Wiper and blame me is completely hogwash; it does not stand in the face of what is lawful or what the courts have decided,” the former VP said.
The IEBC has been in limbo since 2022, following the resignation of four commissioners after an inquiry into their conduct during the presidential election.
The agency was left without commissioners after the term of Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and two remaining commissioners lapsed in 2023.
The delay in reconstituting the IEBC has sparked nationwide debate, with stakeholders calling for a swift resolution to prevent disruptions to Kenya’s electoral processes.
Kalonzo further blamed Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula for the IEBC crisis, saying, “If they had taken time to marshal Parliament, as they did with former DP Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment, the country would not be in a constitutional crisis.
The High Court overturned a Political Parties Disputes Tribunal ruling that had affirmed Kyalo’s representation of smaller parties, following Azimio’s legal challenge to his nomination.
In August, National Liberal Party leader Augustus Kyalo was picked by the Political Parties Liaison Committee as the Azimio representative in the IEBC selection panel.
However, Azimio Coalition who had settled on Wiper’s Muli disputed the outcome of an election, which saw Kyalo garner 16 votes against Koki’s seven.
The NLP moved to court to block the move to delist him from the list presented by PPLC.
He subsequently obtained conservatory orders which were issued barring the appointment of the panel until the matter was heard and determined.
Source: capitalfm
