Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Meets stakeholders to discuss bills committed to them.

 

The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chaired by Hon. George Gitonga Murugara (Tharaka) held a meeting today with officials from the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA), the Registrar of Political Parties and representatives from different civil society groups.

 

The meeting was held to review and finalize the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023; sponsored by Laikipia East MP Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri.

 

The Bill seeks to amend the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011; to ensure equal franchise amongst Constituencies, and ensure the use of other non-population criteria considerations in review of boundaries, is in line with the principles of fair representation and equality of vote.

 

Members of the Committee and the officials present deliberated on how the Bill can be harmonized, with IEBC also sharing it's views, ahead of the tabling of the report in the National Assembly.

 

The civil society groups that presented joint views include Elections Observation Group (ELOG), Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA), Mzalendo Trust, Transparency International Kenya and the Center for Multiparty Democracy Kenya.

On Friday, JLAC held a meeting with the Chairpersons of different Tribunals, led by the Registrar of Tribunals Hon. Ann Asugah, to discuss the Tribunals Bill, 2023.

 

The Bill seeks to give effect to Articles 1(3)(c), 20(4), 47(3), 159(1) and 169 of the Constitution regarding Tribunals, to establish the office of the Registrar of Tribunals; to provide for the functions of the Registrar of Tribunals; to rationalize and regulate the administration and functions of Tribunals; and for connected purposes.

 

Hon. Asugah gave a breakdown of the content of the Bill, why it is necessary and issues that the Bill will be solving if effected, before the team deliberated on further areas that can be reviewed on the Bill, ahead of it's tabling in the House.