Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has said Kenyans should blame the Judiciary for stalling the process of picking new IEBC commissioners instead of heaping the blame on President Ruto and Parliament.
Cherargei said Parliament and the President played their role by passing and assenting to the necessary legal instruments required in the process of appointing new IEBC commissioners and wondered why Kenyans were still blaming Ruto and MPs.
The senator said Parliament passed the IEBC Amendment Act last year and President Ruto assented to it immediately as part of the process that was to lead to the appointment of the selection panel to pick the new IEBC commissioners.
He said the selection panel is to have nine members representing various groups but some people went to court to stop the process of picking the selection panel.
“As Parliament and President Ruto, we did our part and I'm surprised that some Kenyans including church leaders and politicians are blaming us instead of directing that anger to the Judiciary which is yet to sort out the cases pending before courts,” Cherargei said.
The senator who was speaking in Eldoret said Kenyans should ask Chief Justice Martha Koome to explain why the cases on IEBC processess were not being handled with priority as a matter of national interest.
“It’s the same Judiciary that always rushes to issue injunctions against government pogrammes yet when it comes to such important issues they are not in a hurry. Let Koome explain to Kenyans,” Cherargei said.
He said Judiciary had in the recent past issued orders under certificate of urgency against government programmes like affordable housing and SHA.
“Kenyans should petition CJ to ensure the cases on the selection panel are heard and determined expeditiously so that we finish up with matter of IEBC,” Cherargei said.
He said the absence of the IEBC was affecting the electoral process in the country because the commission was unable to carry out its mandate like continuous registration of voters and carrying out by-elections.
Currently, he said, three constituencies do not have MPs same as 11 wards which have no MCAs.
“We know the importance of having the IEBC in place because these areas without MPs would have already elected new representatives,” Cherargei said.
He said Kenyans should avoid laying blame on Ruto for things he is not responsible for.
Cherargei asked the Church and political leaders to pile pressure on the Judiciary to determine the pending cases so that the IEBC reconstitution process is completed to enable the commission carry out its mandate.
He said under the amended Act, the IEBC will also be required to give an audit of the general elections after one year among other measures to strengthen the electoral process.
Cherargei said he is hopeful that once the pending cases in courts are sorted out, the matter of the IEBC will be dealt with quickly.
“Let no one lie to Kenyans about what has stalled the process because it very clear that as Parliament and the President, we have done our work. Let the Judiciary carry its own cross,” the Nandi senator said.
