Kalonzo Puts Fresh Pressure On IEBC After Inspiration By US Elections

Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, on Wednesday, November 6 took a swipe at Kenya's prime electoral body, the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), stating that it should borrow a leaf from the just-concluded 2024 United States (US) general elections.

On X, Kalonzo urged IEBC to take lessons from the US on how to conduct a free, fair and credible general election.

Kalonzo was making the recommendations as he congratulated Donald Trump on his projected election as the 47th President of the United States (POTUS), defeating current Vice President Kamala Harris after crossing the 270 mark needed to clinch victory.

"I extend my congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump on your election as 47th President of the United States of America," Kalonzo's statement read.

Live map of the 2024 US elections. /ASSOCIATED PRESS.GOOGLE

"Americans have placed their trust in your ideas and leadership, as evidenced by the outcomes of the electoral college and popular vote. Over 150 million Americans voted in the historic November 5 election, and their votes were counted, tallied and announced in less than 24 hours. I believe Kenya, and in particular the IEBC can learn from the United States about how to conduct a free, fair, and credible election. I wish you every success and look forward to working with you."

The US elections, which began officially on Tuesday, November 5, had their results tabulated speedily. Trump by now has amassed 277 votes compared to Harris' 224, with the states of Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Maine and Alaska yet to finish tabulating the votes.

In Kenya, the IEBC has been responsible for the three General Elections 2013, 2017, and 2022 held under the new Kenyan Constitution of 2010.

However, the electoral body has come under fire from political leaders over its conduct of the elections, with the presidential polls drawing the most criticism.

In 2017, the general elections were nullified by the Supreme Court which ordered IEBC to run the polls afresh, the only time IEBC has ever seen the results of an election it supervised, cancelled. 

Kalonzo Musyoka, the Wiper leader has been at the center of laying blame to the IEBC over its conduct of presidential elections. He was twice a losing running mate in the 2013 and 2017 elections while in 2022, he faced defeat as an Azimio la Umoja (One Kenya) coalition co-principal. 

In all three elections, Kalonzo and his comrades moved to the Supreme Court challenging the outcome. However, the Supreme Court has twice ruled against the Opposition figures (2013 and 2022) only ruling in their favor once in 2017.

Despite Kalonzo’s call for better conduct of election polls, IEBC currently does not exist as new commissioners are yet to be officially constituted. This comes after President Ruto signed into law the IEBC Amendment Act resulting in the need for a new electoral body to be constituted.

The reforms emanated from the recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report – the result of meetings between members of the government and the opposition after the contested 2022 presidential election.

Currently, the matter is before the Kenyan courts after a move to reconstitute a new IEBC body hit a snag after the High Court blocked the submission of names to President Ruto for approval. The ruling prohibited Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Clerk of the Senate and Secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), from forwarding, publishing, or gazetting the nominees until a further judicial review is conducted.

On October 22, the High Court directed that Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya nominate its candidate to the selection panel of the IEBC in two days, an important step in the road to reconstituting the country's main electoral body. The court set aside and vacated the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal judgement in the case involving the National Liberal Party leader Dr. Augustus Kyalo Muli against the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition & PPLC and 2 interested parties.