IEBC Holds Crisis Meeting Amid Calls for Its Disbandment

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials were on Saturday holed up in a day-long crisis meeting to deliberate on the way forward following the annulment of Presidential election by the Supreme Court.

The meeting comes even as President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga engage in a push-pull, over the fate of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Whilst Jubilee and President Uhuru wants the electoral team to remain intact, the National Super Alliance insists commission must be reconstituted.

On Friday, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati talked about the meeting in his reaction to the Supreme Court determination, which raised questions on the ability of his team to hold a repeat poll.

“It is worth noting that the new commissioners only took office seven months ago, without any changes made to the secretariat. To protect the integrity of the sovereign will of the Kenyan people, the commission intends to make internal changes to our personnel and processes as we prepare for the fresh presidential election in 60 days,” Mr Chebukati had said, adding that the commission was also inviting the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions “to urgently and expeditiously investigate and prosecute any of our staff that may have been involved in violation of the Election Offences Act.”

On Friday, the opposition alliance singled out IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba, Deputy Commission Secretary (Operations) Ms Betty Sungura-Nyabuto, Legal and Public Affairs Director Praxedes Tororey, Voter Registration and Electoral Operations Director Immaculate Kassait and ICT Director James Muhati as officers who must vacate office.

However, President Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and other Jubilee stalwarts have vowed to block attempts to disband the electoral commission.

“We have been down this road before. This time, we will not. We have no time to change the IEBC. You accepted the results of the other elective seats in an election that was managed by this same IEBC. Get ready for an election, and Raila, see you at the ballot,” President Kenyatta said while on a campaign trail in Nakuru on Saturday.

" Nawaonya, wasidhubutu kugusa IEBC, kama hawataki uchaguzi waache kutusumbua," Uhuru warned.

“It is the same IEBC which managed the election of all MPs and Governors as well as MCAs including those from the Opposition but they have not complained. Now that we are preparing for fresh presidential elections, they are telling us IEBC will not manage the elections They should stop playing with us, we are not children,”he added.

"IEBC will conduct the election and that is it. We do not know about that other party we are being told to wait for, there is nothing like that and we are not jokers also," Kenyatta said.

A fresh election must be held within 60 days from the day the petition ruling was delivered.