Chebukati Orders Suspension of IEBC ICT Director James Muhati

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati has ordered CEO Ezra Chiloba to suspend three officers in the ICT directorate in what he termed as an effort to restore waning public confidence in the commission’s ability to conduct a credible repeat election.

In an internal memo, Chebukati directed Chiloba to suspend ICT Director James Muhati, ICT Coordinator Paul Mugo and ICT officer Boniface Wamae.

Chebukati accused the three of falling short of helping the agency successfully discharge “its collegial and constitutionally enshrined mandate”.

“This suspension is necessary to not just restore the waning public confidence in the commission’s ability to prepare and deliver credible polls but also assert the integrity and fidelity of the commission to the rule of law,” Chebukati said.

Muhati and the two officers had been mandated to run IEBC's Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) platform during the August 8th General Election, but Chebukati notes that the ICT security framework and security measures used failed to offer proof from risk of external interference with the commission’s systems.

Chebukati further said the framework failed to address internal risks posed by ICT officers, somewhat acquiring super administrator access to server that was their day-to-day operational server.

“In your subject memo, you have not responded as to why a server that was meant for day-to-day operations by staff was used for official purpose of transmitting forms 34Bs,” Chebukati tells Mr Chiloba in the memo.

He further notifies the CEO that the plenary of the commission had okayed the use of SFTP as well as usage of a secure IP address.

He also says the plenary had agreed the that a read-only account for use by the chairperson designated as presidential@iebc.or.ke and another— results@iebc.or.ke . be created.

“No proposal was ever tabled or considered in establishing an account in the personal names of the chairperson/NRO (National returning officer),” he says.