Murang’a Senator Nyutu slams MPs over IEBC vetting
In a TV interview aired on Thursday, June 5, 2025, Nyutu alleged that MPs failed in their oversight role and acted under pressure from the Executive, resulting in what he termed as a compromised and superficial vetting exercise.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu has taken a swipe at the National Assembly, accusing it of conducting a lacklustre vetting process for the newly nominated Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
In a TV interview aired on Thursday, June 5, 2025, Nyutu alleged that MPs failed in their oversight role and acted under pressure from the Executive, resulting in what he termed as a compromised and superficial vetting exercise.
He claimed legislators deliberately avoided asking tough, probing questions, allowing the nominees to sail through unchecked raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the appointments.
Senator Joe Nyutu of Murang’a has expressed deep frustration with the National Assembly, accusing it of failing to uphold its constitutional oversight role, particularly in the vetting of IEBC commissioners and other top government appointments.
“The National Assembly has let me down,” he remarked during a televised interview on June 5, 2025. “Not just in the IEBC vetting this trend extends to Cabinet appointments. Even the President admitted that some CSs in his own Cabinet have been incompetent. That’s a clear sign of failure.”
Nyutu criticized Parliament for rubber-stamping appointments without adequate scrutiny, questioning how incompetence could go unnoticed by both the appointing authority and lawmakers tasked with vetting.
“If the President had doubts, why appoint them? And if he did, why didn’t the National Assembly, who are meant to represent Kenyans, catch it during vetting?” he asked.
He lamented that vetting had been reduced to a mere formality, warning that Parliament was increasingly seen as a puppet of the Executive rather than an independent institution serving the public interest.
“There are serious concerns among Kenyans about whether this vetting process still serves its intended purpose,” Nyutu said. “Let Parliament do its job independently. Let them ask the hard questions and stop taking instructions.”
His comments come amid intense political debate surrounding the reconstitution of the IEBC, with many political figures and civil society groups expressing doubts about the transparency and fairness of the selection process.
Senator Nyutu also criticized the leadership within Parliament, urging both the majority and minority leaders to put aside political interests and focus on safeguarding the integrity of public institutions.
“We must not become tools to simply endorse decisions made elsewhere,” he asserted.
“I challenge both the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader to prove their dedication to the Constitution and the people of Kenya in this crucial moment.”
