Former Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has weighed in on the debate on the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Kuria, who is currently the senior advisor in the Council of Economic Advisors at State House, Nairobi, cautioned that the stand-off is a ticking time bomb.
According to him, delays in remaking the commission are subjecting the country to a potential political crisis.
Kuria asked the selection panel to resume the process this Monday, December 9, to have a substantive commission in place before the year ends.
"Even without the Wiper representative at the IEBC Selection Panel, I agree with Justice Lenaola. The Panel is Quorate. I urge the other members to meet on Monday and kick off the advertising process for IEBC Commissioners by Friday, 13th December at the latest. We are living dangerously without an electoral body," said Kuria.
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The IEBC has been devoid of commissioners following the exit of former chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Molu Boya and Abdi Guliye, whose tenures ended in January 2023.
The commission lost four commissioners who resigned at the height of the 2022 presidential vote controversy.
Commissioners Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang'aya gave up their posts after dissenting from Chebukati over the outcome of the presidential election.
Kuria's sentiments were in support of those of Supreme Court judge Isaac Lenaola, who argued that a lack of quorate IEBC was a grave mistake for the country.
Lenaola wondered why the commission had not been fully constituted within less than three years before the 2027 General Election.
He questioned how prepared the IEBC would be should the delays continue to drag on.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the delays had been occasioned by a dispute raised by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
Consequently, the Supreme Court judge sought to know why the opposition was holding the country hostage.
"How can a country like ours stand on its feet without having an electoral commission? Elections are in 2027. This is 2024. When will this commission be prepared?" Lenaola posed.
"Why is the IEBC not being constituted? Because Azimio cannot appoint their representative to the panel. Is that something to hold a country hostage for two years?"
