The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) has issued a final report recommending changes to the presidential election petition process and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The committee also proposed legal reforms but failed to agree on how to lower the cost of living.
Key recommendations:
- Increase the timelines for hearing and determining presidential election petitions from 14 to 21 days
- Appoint a panel of experts to evaluate the 2022 electoral process
- Reconstitute the IEBC selection panel from seven to nine members
- Legal reforms passed 18 months before general elections should become effective in the next election
- Reduce the travel budget for all arms of government by 50%
- Reduce the road maintenance levy and the anti-adulteration levy by Ksh5 and Ksh3 per litre respectively
- Finalize the transfer of devolved functions
- Amend the Constitution to provide for an equitable share of resources for county governments
Areas where no consensus was reached:
- Reduction of VAT on fuel from 16% to 8%
- Scrapping of the housing levy
According to the NDC, their recommendations are aimed at improving the electoral process, strengthening democracy, and addressing the economic challenges facing Kenyans. The committee’s inability to reach consensus on certain issues highlights the complexity of these challenges and the need for further dialogue and compromise.
The report was signed by co-chairs Kalonzo Musyoka of the Azimio la Umoja -One Kenya Coalition and Kimani Ichung’wah of the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
The 10-member team also recommended the appointment of a panel of experts to evaluate the 2022 electoral process. They also recommended the reconstitution of the IEBC selection panel from seven to nine members.
The bipartisan talks team also proposed that legal reforms that have been passed 18 months before the general elections become effective in the next election.
Aside from ironing out issues between the two parties, the 4-month talks were also meant to address the high cost of living affecting Kenyans.On matters of cost of living, NDC was unable to reach an agreement on the reduction of VAT of fuel from 16 percent to 8 percent, and scrapping of the housing levy.
“The committee was unable to reach a consensus on a number of other proposals on the matter of cost of living, including the reduction of VAT on fuel from 16% to 8%, and scrapping of the housing levy, the twin issues in the Finance Act 2023,” the report said.
However, the committee issued recommendations such as reducing the travel budget for all arms of government to 50 percent, reducing the road maintenance levy and the anti-adulteration levy by Ksh5 and Ksh3 per litre respectively, finalizing the transfer of devolved functions and amending the Constitution to provide for the equitable share to the County Governments.
The NDC’s recommendations have been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised the committee for its work in addressing critical issues, while others have criticized the report for not going far enough.
It remains to be seen whether the government will implement the NDC’s recommendations. However, the report is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about how to improve Kenya’s democracy and economy.
