The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is on course in implementation of the 2017 Elections Operations Plan despite the ongoing public debate on the future of its commissioners, CEO Ezra Chiloba has said.
Mr Chiloba made these remarks at Strathmore University Law School on July 5, when he delivered a public lecture on ‘securing the 2017 General Elections’.
“We already had a plan in place that covered everything and anything you can imagine and think about in relation to the forthcoming elections,” the IEBC CEO said.
The Strathmore University forum attracted attendance from Law students, Strathmore University Staff, civil society organisations among other election stakeholders.
Narc-Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua and former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) CEO Apollo Mboya were panelists at the discussion which was moderated by Dr Louis Franceschi, the Dean of the Strathmore Law School.
“The process and path for the delivery of an election without blemish must be one that is planted on structures rather than the heads of man,” Mr Chiloba said, adding that free and fair elections are not delivered by the Commission alone, but by a commitment of all Kenyans to a strong plan, structures and systems.
The IEBC CEO highlighted the Commissions strategy for voter registration, electoral technology, selection of candidates by political parties and electoral results management, saying that these as areas critical to the success of the 2017 General Elections.
Chiloba was categorical that the question of the future of the Commission should be promptly resolved given that there are only 398 days left to the next General Election set for August 08, 2017.
“In terms of timelines, we are in a worse off situation than we were in 2011 when the current commissioners took. Kriegler recommended that a new commission would need approximately 24 months to be able to conduct fair and credible elections,” he said.