Details of Uhuru, Raila deal on IEBC

Committee of Parliament is exclusively on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and electoral reforms.

The rules of engagement for the committee, expected to conclude its work within 30 days, include resolutions being made through two-thirds vote in matters where there is no consensus.

The teams have resolved that the committee, to be co-chaired by both sides, will have 14 members and each side will nominate seven representatives. Parliament will provide the secretariat to serve the committee, but each side will also nominate two rapporteurs backed by experts.

Prior to the tabling in Parliament of the bill arising from the deliberations, sources said it had been agreed that the leadership of the two coalitions -Uhuru and Raila- will issue a statement rallying their members to support the proposed law in the House.

The proposal is apparently informed by the fact that the two, as they are not Members of Parliament, cannot contribute from the House, unlike what then President Kibaki and Raila did in 2008 when they attended a special sitting to lobby their troops to pass the National Accord.

The compromise position for Uhuru and Raila to issue a statement on the bill could be what Senator James Orengo was alluding to when he said the major outstanding issue of having the two give approval to the resolution of the select committee had been ironed out.

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"We have managed to have that incorporated into the body of the motion and both leaders will use their influence to rally their troops in Parliament to pass the resolution that will have been agreed by the select committee," Mr Orengo said.

 Final document

An indicator that another alternative had been worked out was signalled by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi.

"We are yet to agree that the final document be signed by anyone outside Parliament. It should be signed by those participating in the negotiation process," Mr Kiraitu said.

He said Uhuru and Raila were strangers in Parliament, and the final document should be allowed to go through the normal parliamentary procedures.

The agreement for equal membership, and decision that both coalitions co-chair the committee, is a concession given that ordinary committees are dominated and led by Jubilee.

It also means Jubilee will have to reduce by four the initial team it had picked for the talks.

On June 9, at a Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto, the ruling coalition named 11 members to represent it in the Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

Those picked were Senators Kiraitu (Team Leader), Kipchumba Murkomen, Beatrice Elachi and Fatuma Dullo. Others were Members of the National Assembly Naomi Shaban, Ben Washiali, Mohammed Mahmoud, Cecily Mbarire, Moses Kuria, Jimmy Angwenyi and Soipan Tuya.

Earlier picked

It is understood that CORD will retain the five members earlier picked for the job and nominate two more. Those already named are senators Johnson Muthama and Orengo as well as Members of the National Assembly Junet Mohammed, Mishi Mboko and Eseli Simiyu.

It is expected Majority Leaders from the Senate and the National Assembly will tomorrow table the motion in both chambers to clear the way for the committee to look into electoral reforms ahead of next year's General Election.

Additional reporting by Jacob Ngetich and Wilfred Ayaga