- Kenya Kwanza and Azimio to name three members each to the Panel.
- The Panel will identify reputable firm/s to carry out the evaluation.
Image: PCU
The panel tasked with auditing 2022 presidential elections is slowly taking shape after Azimio la Umoja submitted names of its three nominees to Parliament.
The audit of the 2022 presidential elections is one of the recommendations of the Nadco committee which midwifed a bipartisan agreement between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio.
The six-member panel, a creation of National Dialogue Committee report, should be in place 21 days after approval of the report.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks the end of the 21 days given by the committee for the Majority and the Minority sides to name their teams following the adoption of its report by Parliament.
The Nadco report was adopted by the Senate on February 21 and the National Assembly on February 22.
The unanimous approval of the report by the bicameral house set the stage for the commencement of the 2022 polls audit exercise.
According to the Nadco report, Kenya Kwanza and Azimio were to each nominate three members to the panel to comb through the results of the 2022 presidential elections.
Amongst the key function of the Panel is to identify a reputable firm to conduct the evaluation of the results.
The report provides that if the two sides differ on the firm to carry out the delicate exercise, each side will pick a firm to conduct the evaluation separately.
Once each side is done, the two separate reports will be submitted to the Panel of six for harmonisation before being transmitted to parliament.
“The Panel shall jointly appoint a reputable or a consortium of firms to undertake the evaluation. If there is no agreement on the joint appointment of the firm, each side of the panel shall appoint a reputable firm to undertake the evaluation,” Nadco report says under Article 263 (a) (iii).
“The two firms shall coordinate the evaluation process.”
The report says the evaluation of elections is important in ensuring that voting systems operate accurately and that election officials comply with laws, regulations and internal policies.
It also seeks to identify weaknesses and set benchmarks for future performance.
In addition, it states that the audit will help build confidence in the election administration process and the credibility of the results and the electoral management body.
The report further recommends a relook of the Elections Act, 2011 to provide the scope of the evaluation, financing and reporting.
On Monday, opposition leader Raila Odinga's Azimio camp unveiled its representatives to the crucial panel.
Azimio side will be led by former Attorney General, who is also former Busia Governor Amos Wako.
Other officials include former nominated Senator Judy Pareno and forensic investigator Julius Njiraini.
"Kindly facilitate the inauguration of the full Panel for a speedy execution of its mandate,'' National Assembly Minority Opiyo Wandayi told Wetang'ula in his letter dated Monday.
President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza camp is yet to submit names to the Speaker.
The ruling side thus has until Wednesday to unveil its three people to sit in the audit panel.