With parliament yesterday moving closer to expunging the four dissenting commissioners from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission body after the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee approved their removal, bad news has hit a section of the United Democratic Alliance party.
Former council member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and now Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna was speaking while making an appearance on Citizen TV’s morning show Daybreak which was hosted by the station’s presenter Abdikadir Yusuf and his co-host Serfine Achieng’. Alongside Sifuna in the studio were Kiambu County governor Kimani Wamatangi and South Mugirango member of parliament Sylvanus Osoro.
Sifuna claimed that the removal of IEBC vice-chair Juliana Cherera and commissioners Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi and Julius Nyang’aya was aimed at filling the electoral body with William Ruto loyalists who will serve at the president’s beck and call.
Sifuna suggested it will reach a time where governors such as Wamatangi and others from the president’s strongholds who are deemed to be unfriendly to the regime will simply be disenfranchised at the polls by the incoming electoral team.
Just yesterday, the four embattled Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioners (IEBC), in the report by the Justice committee chaired by Tharaka Member of Parliament George Murugara had their woes increased. After considering four petitions seeking to ouster Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyagaya, Irene Masit and Francis Wanderi the legislators were satisfied that they held sufficient grounds for their removal.
While tabling the report, Murugara stated that the four petitions had disclosed enough evidence on serious violation of the constitution, gross misconduct and incompetence paving way for President William Ruto to form a tribunal for their removal.
Republican Party, Rev David Ndumbi, Steve Owour and Geofrey Langat had filed the petitions which were investigated in a four-day hearing which the besieged commissioners gave a wide berth.
“The house resolves petition herein together with the material in support hereof be sent to his Excellency the President pursuant to Article 251 (3) of the constitution. The President appoint a tribunal to deal with the matters in accordance with Article 251 (5) of the constitution,” said Murugara.
JLAC calls for the four commissioners to be suspended pending their investigations which will be conducted by the tribunal.
This comes even as the National Assembly is racing against time to pass IEBC amendment bill of 2022 which guides on how to select new commissioners in the poll body through a selection panel.
For current information about Kenya, pandemic regulations, Real estate, credit and other companies offering loans to individuals and small businesses, healthcare and treatment information, always browse Kenyan Report.
