Political leaders in Kilifi County have called for a quick resolution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) impasse to pave the way for the swearing in of the recently appointed commissioners.
The leaders, who included National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya, Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu and immediate former Magarini MP Harrison Kombe, said the delay in putting in place the electoral body’s commissioners was denying many Kenyans the right to representation.
They were speaking at the Marafa Vocational Training Centre in Magarini Constituency where Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano disbursed more than Sh60 million in compensation for people killed by wild animals between 2014 and 2020 in Kilifi.
Baya criticised individuals who had gone to court to stop the swearing in of the IEBC commissioners, saying they had paralysed crucial processes, including by-elections in various parts of the country, among them Magarini constituency in Kilifi.
“Those rushing to court to stop the IEBC commissioners from being sworn in, people who are just eager to go to court, should stop so that we can have a functional electoral commission,” Baya said.
The MP lamented that despite the National Assembly vetting and approving the nominees, unnecessary litigation was causing ‘dangerous delays’ as the continued impasse was not good for the country.
“We approved the electoral commission nominees in Parliament yet they aren’t being sworn in because of issues dragging the nation backwards. It is high time the IEBC is fully constituted,” he said.
Kilifi Women Representative Gertrude Mbeyu echoed Baya’s concerns, urging those who had taken the matter to court to withdraw their cases, saying they were holding back the whole nation and could affect the August 2027 General Election.
We urge those who went to court to bar the swearing-in of the IEBC commissioners to withdraw their cases because they are holding back the people of Magarini; they are holding back the entire nation of Kenya,” she said.
She added: The IEBC commissioners remain unsworn and time is running out. They need to be in office to prepare for 2027. If these court cases linger until 2026, when do they think the vote will take place?”
They were reacting to comments by Kombe, who said that the continued impasse was adversely affecting Magarini residents, as they have not had representation in the National Assembly for over one year.
“I am sending a direct appeal to the President to intervene and ensure the IEBC team is in place for the people of Magarini to enjoy their constitutional right to representation,” he said.
The Magarini Parliamentary seat became vacant after Kombe’s election victory was nullified by the courts, paving the way for a by-election, which has been delayed by the lack of IEBC commissioners.
By Kwekwe Lugua and Emmanuel Masha
