The committee, which was chaired by Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, has now proposed a seven-point agreement that should be implemented before next year’s General Elections/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – The Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms has finally reached consensus over contentious issues following month-long rigorous negotiations.
The committee, which was chaired by Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, has now proposed a seven-point agreement that should be implemented before next year’s General Elections.
Among the issues agreed upon include a dignified negotiated vacation from office of the current commissioners and composition of a selection panel to conduct the process of recruiting new commissioners.
The committee also wants a legal framework established for the verification of the principal register of voters and use of ICT during the 2017 elections.
In addition, the committee also agreed upon the timelines “relating to the process of nomination of candidates by political parties before the General Election.”
Further, the committee also agreed on a legal framework for the conduct and supervision of the “nomination of candidates by political parties before a General Election including the role of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.”
Consensus was also reached on the legal framework for “the announcement, collation and declaration of results for the election of the President, County Governors, Members of Parliament and Member of County Assemblies.”
The report and a draft bill will now be processed before it is submitted for review and approval by Members of Parliament.
“In line with its mandate to propose electoral reforms, the Joint Parliamentary Select Committee is in the process of finalising a draft Elections Offences Bill and a draft bill to amend several electoral laws with a view to ensuring that the August 2017 elections are conducted in a free and fair and are administered in an impartial, efficient, simple, accurate, verifiable, secure, accountable and transparent manner,” read a statement released Friday.
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