SUPKEM Statement on IEBC Chairperson and Commissioners Nominees

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, first and foremost, congratulates the nominees and the selection panel for the milestone achieved towards reconstituting the electoral body, and wishes the nominees success as they face vetting and approval by the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, we wish to observe and state that, as one of the institutions under the corporate umbrella of the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), who nominated members—two of our members served. In fact, the chair is our member on the selection panel. SUPKEM unreservedly supports the selection panel’s recommendations and the President’s nominations that are now before the National Assembly.

We are therefore confident that the National Assembly will add the much-needed extra layer of vetting and approval, the product of which will be a team that earns the trust and confidence of the people of Kenya to manage their elections, which are very key to our young but alluring democracy.

In this regard, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims has confidence in the selection panel and its outcome, and we continue to render this support as and whenever required. In essence, we will not run away from or question a process in which we have been fully involved and supportive.

We therefore appeal to the National Assembly to expedite the vetting of the nominees for speedy reconstitution of IEBC and embark on the delayed boundaries review. Any further delay will affect these processes and, in turn, affect the preparations and timelines for the next presidential and general elections, which—as the present political environment attests—promise to be very competitive.

But as we affirm our support for and confidence in the nominees, we are equally concerned about the toxic political rhetoric that has already greeted them. A section of our senior politicians has publicly cast aspersions on the character and competence of the nominees, especially the nominee for the IEBC chairmanship.

One of the issues raised by a senior politician is that there should have been further consultations within the dominant political class before the President announced the nominees from the list presented to him by the selection panel. We find this suggestion absurd, because constituting the selection panel itself was a very participatory, negotiated, and consolidated process.

In fact, some of the senior politicians now admonishing the President for announcing the nominees had their competent representatives on the selection panel. So, unless they are saying that they don't trust the contributions of their own representatives on the selection panel, another round of consultations to agree on persons already recruited by the panel would only serve to open another round of unnecessary haggling and political horse-trading that will further delay the constitution of IEBC.

Just as the interests of justice are not in favor of endless litigation, public interest is not in favor of endless consultations.

Above all, the nominees will be facing vetting in the National Assembly. And if anybody has a problem with any or all of them, they will have a chance to raise that.

We therefore appeal to all stakeholders and Kenyans at large to support this process and support the nominees in order to inspire confidence in the expected new IEBC.