HOUSE VOTES TO DISBAND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF KENYA

DAILY NATION
ByALPHONCE SHIUNDU
December 16 2008

169 MPs in the House voted in favour of the bill.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim presided over the vote.
Parliament has overwhelmingly passed the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2008.

After a division, parliamentary parlance for voting, 169 MPs in the House voted in favour of the bill. None of the MPs voted against the Bill. None abstained.
53 MPs were not in Parliament when the Bill came up for the vote.

The Bill, which now awaits Presidential assent, has effectively disbanded the Electoral Commission of Kenya. It will replace the ECK with a nine-team Interim Independent Electoral Commission, set up an Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission and an Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court.

These were the fruits of wide consultations and lobbying by the MPs to obtain the 145-member threshold required for an amendment of the Constitution.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim presided over the vote.
Ms Millie Odhiambo (Nominated, ODM) said Kenya would be a better place if Parliament stayed focused on the reform agenda. "After the reform of the Electoral Commission, we should move to the police.” Ms Odhiambo called for a balanced Parliamentary Service Committee with issues on gender and regional representation.

Mr Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani, New Ford-K) attempted to have the debate shortened but he was overruled by the members.

Prof Margaret Kamar (Eldoret East, ODM) said that the committee should come up with modalities to ensure that both the process and the content of the Bill remained beyond reproach.

Mr Eugene Wamalwa (Saboti, Ford- Kenya) called for a review of constituency boundaries as some constituencies were being shortchanged.

It is after Mr Wamalwa spoke that Agriculture minister William Ruto stood and asked that the debate be cut short for the voting to start. He was supported by Local Government assistant minister Robinson Githae.

COMMENTS
Submitted by InSidious
Posted December 16, 2008 08:50 PM

That's typical reporting. A reactionary media corporate structure. Journalist need to be empowered by better pay, designation journalism and a corporate structure that truly looks out for their employees in order to obtain first rate reporting. First rate reporting comes at a cost, good pay and empowerment.

Submitted by syindumyaki
Posted December 16, 2008 08:33 PM

Did they delete the clause dismissing the members of staff? I hope they will deploy them to other ministries, these are hard economice times!