Presidential contestant and Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader Dr. Alfred Mutua has urged president Uhuru Kenyatta to urgently embark on hiring commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The Machakos Governor said the Krigler Report recommended that a substantive, fully constituted commission must be in place 18 months to the election. He said this currently is 18 months away to the next ballot.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta must commence a process to put in place a full-house commission that will start putting in place structures necessary to carry out the 2022 election,” Mutua said.
Currently the IEBC only has two commissioners and the chairperson with six vacancies to be filled.
Mutua added that the current team of three members is inadequate to undertake credible elections.
“The last-minute manoeuvres are usually the ones that generate anxiety among Kenyans and should be avoided,” he said. Adding that the commission needs time to prepare for free and fair elections.
Governor Mutua called on government to avoid what he described as “systemic mistakes” such as inadequate funding of the commission as was recommended by in the Krigler Report.
Mutua was speaking in Nanyuki town during his week-long meet the people tours fashioned as “Mutua Fresh Listening Tours.”
The Machakos Governor who has expressed interest in the 2022 presidential elections promised to fix discrepancies in funding the Judiciary to help stem corruption within the system.
Speakers during the open air forum praised Mutua for his unique approach of gathering people’s opinion which they said will help Mutua make informed decisions.
The Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader said the views gathered during his countrywide listening tours will be the backbone for his election manifesto.
Mutua has traversed Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Nyeri and Laikipia counties in the last seven days.
