Commissioners in Kenya’s polling body have finally agreed to leave office after months of anxiety regarding their fate as the country inches closer to the 2017 elections. The nine commissioners, led by Chairman Issack Hassan, on Wednesday told a joint parliamentary committee comprising members of the country’s National Assembly and the Senate that they are ready to leave office through a political settlement for the sake of peace. That means the joint committee, co-chaired by Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo, will now have to craft a bill that allows the commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to leave office before the end of their term in September 2017 as part of the larger electoral reforms.
“We have been pleading with the commissioners to be patriotic and leave peacefully to enable the country hold peaceful elections in 2017. Kenya is a peaceful country and we don’t want a repeat of the 2007 post–election violence,” said Mr Kiraitu in final address to the committee Wednesday.
The joint committee was formed in June after a five weeks of street protests by the opposition led by Raila Odinga. It has been having a public hearing for the last one month, looking at allegations of bias and corruption that have been levelled against the IEBC commissioners.
The decision to voluntary leave office without following the constitutional provision for a tribunal has now put an end to the hearing joint committee.
Full Article: Kenya’s poll body officials yield to Opposition pressure, to exit – News.
