Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has criticised the National Assembly for failing to thoroughly vet the newly appointed commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), accusing it of acting under the influence of the Executive and failing to uphold its constitutional role as a watchdog of the people’s interests.
Speaking in an interview on a local TV station on Thursday, June 5, 2025, Nyutu said the vetting process was shallow and compromised, claiming members of the National Assembly avoided asking hard-hitting questions to the IEBC nominees due to external pressure.
“The National Assembly has let me down,” Nyutu said. “Not just in the IEBC vetting, but even in other appointments, like Cabinet Secretaries. You know that we have had issues — even the President testified — that CSs who have served in his Cabinet are incompetent. It is an incompetent domain.”
The senator pointed out that while the Constitution mandates Parliament to provide oversight on presidential appointments, recent trends showed a failure by legislators to fulfil this obligation effectively. He questioned the logic of appointments being approved without scrutiny, despite concerns from both the appointing authority and the public.
“If the appointing authority thinks that somebody was incompetent, why did they appoint them in the first place?” he posed.
“And if they appointed them, the National Assembly, who are representatives of the people, why didn’t they see through the incompetence of these particular appointees?”
The Lawmaker further suggested that the vetting process has become a formality rather than a meaningful constitutional safeguard. He expressed concern that Parliament was no longer acting independently but rather following directives from the Executive.
“There are questions that Kenyans are asking on whether this battle by the National Assembly is just a formality or if it achieves the objectives it was designed for by the drafters of the Constitution,” he said. “Let them do a rigorous job. Let them not take instructions.”
Call for transparency
His remarks come amid heightened political debate over the reconstitution of the IEBC, with various political leaders and civil society groups raising concerns about the transparency and credibility of the selection process.
Senator Nyutu also took a swipe at the parliamentary leadership, calling on both majority and minority leaders to rise above political expediency and prioritise the integrity of public institutions.
“We must not allow ourselves to be used to rubber-stamp decisions made elsewhere,” he stated.
“I want to challenge both the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader — this is a test of your commitment to the Constitution and the people of Kenya.”
