Connect with us

General News

Kenya: Chebukati Urges Lawmakers to Pass Pending Poll-Related Laws By December

Published

4 years ago

on

[ad_1]

Nairobi — Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has called for timely conclusion of any poll-related laws and regulations by December 31, to allow the agency ample time to prepare for the 2022 General Election.

Chebukati, who has faulted Parliament of dilly dallying by taking too long to pass the laws, has lamented that the Commission’s mandate in readiness of the polls risks being jeopardized.

“We are hoping that we shall continue to engage Parliament with a view of having these reforms in place. We are already late in the day but we hope that latest by December this year if there are any reforms then they should be in place before we get into next year’s election mode,” he said on Friday during a forum with officials drawn from various party.

Bills the Commission is keen to have passed include the referendum laws, the IEBC Bill amendment among others.

The House voted on Thursday to annul the Campaign Financing Limits Regulations which would have seen presidential candidates limited to spending Sh4.4 billion and Sh17 billion for political parties, and for the various seats up for grabs in the 2022 general elections.

The lawmakers accused the electoral body of submitting the draft regulations late.

Chebukati is expected to appear before the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on October 5 to shed light on election preparedness.

The poll agency is also grappling with challenges of inadequate funding with Chebukati insisting that the agency needs Sh40 billion to conduct a credible election.