The last pieces of preparation puzzle for the next general elections in August this year have been put in place today with the appointment of the new chairman and members of the IEBC commission.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s appointment of the commission showed the commitment by the government to the public, as the country prepares for the elections.
Wafula Chebukati, who was cleared on Tuesday by the National Assembly heads the electoral commission as chairman, with Consolata Bucha, Dr. Rosyline Akombe, Dr Paul Kurgat, Margaret Machanya and Abdi Gulie appointed members of the commission.
The seven have been mandated to steer the county’s elections and restoring public confidence to deliver an election in a free and fair manner.
There had been initial concerns over the nomination of Chebukati, with leaders and Kenyans question his qualification, especially after it emerged that there were other qualified candidates, who scored higher during the interviews.
Questions were also raised based on the fact that Chebukati hails from the same area as IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba.
The team now assumes office after the Isak Hassan led team was forced out of office due to pressure from the opposition, who wanted a change of guard before the next election.
The team had been accused by the opposition of lacking credibility, based on the manner they handled the last elections, which was eventually contested in the High Court by the opposition.
The country is currently carrying out voter listings, where the IEBC aims to register 6 million new voters for the August polls.