Kenya’s President William Ruto on Tuesday signed a law that allows the establishment of a panel to appoint members of the electoral body, in a move aimed at placating his critics.
Reconstituting the electoral body was among the talking points in recent nationwide mass protests that left Ruto facing the most serious crisis of his near two-year presidency.
The electoral body, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), found itself at the heart of a fierce dispute over the outcome of the 2022 election that brought Ruto to power when four of its seven commissioners disowned the results.
The four dissenting officials are no longer at the commission - making the body not fully functional.
“Today's signing marks the beginning of the reconstitution of the IEBC and testifies to our country's ability to attend to its pressing issues and priorities through routine dialogue,” Ruto said at a media briefing in the capital, Nairobi, that was attended by opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Unpopular tax hikes
It is the president’s latest concession after he last month scrapped an unpopular finance bill that was aimed at replenishing government coffers and helping reduce its huge debt burden.
The bill sparked widespread demonstrations led by young Gen-Z Kenyans against its proposed tax increases that threatened to add to the economic hardship of people already gripped by a cost of living crisis.
Ruto on Tuesday also announced a six-day national dialogue forum beginning Monday, July 15, to discuss issues pressing Kenyans.
The forum will draw representatives from political parties, religious groups, civil society, employers and youth.
It will debate issues including the country's public debt, accountability in government, corruption, tribalism and youth employment.
Dozens killed
At least 39 people have been killed since the demonstrations began on June 18, according to the national rights commission.
While the rallies have eased, the protest action has widened into a campaign against perceived state extravagance and corruption, alongside calls for Ruto to go.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
