Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Ezra Chiloba has revealed the only reason that would make him resign from the electoral body ahead of the October presidential elections.
Speaking to the Daily Nation, Mr Chiloba revealed that he would resign if he was found culpable as an individual adding that the commission was majorly successful in holding a credible election.
"Where you have irregularities and illegalities, these don’t necessarily lead to criminality. The latter means that you intentionally tried to play the system, and that was not the case in our handling of the election process.
"If anything, a lot that went right can be counted and is self-evident. We had 1,882 elective positions across the country and they went through the same process and, in more than 95 per cent, people were satisfied with the outcome," he conveyed.
Chiloba maintained that he had not been asked to resign from the commission as they were awaiting the full judgment from the Supreme Court.
"No one has been asked to resign. The position of the commission has been that we need to wait for the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court, audit ourselves and look at the areas for improvement, then we move from there. The question about resignation becomes difficult now because no one is able to tell where the responsibility lies unless you get the details," he divulged.
He stated that IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati's Decision to form a project's team was not a move to sideline him in the upcoming elections.
"We’ve always run our major operations under project teams, including voter registration, education, tallying center management and such. This isn’t a new idea, but how we operate within IEBC. What the chair was demonstrating to the country is that we are getting ready for the elections and this is how we operate.
"The team cannot work without the rest of us. From where I sit, this is a good idea, and we need to ensure that we ensure they are well facilitated and supported so as to give their best for the country," he opined.
The IEBC CEO commented on the leaked memo that Mr Chebukati had addressed to him stating that he was looking into the issues that the chairman had raised about the August elections.
"We are looking at the issues raised in the memo and we will respond in the interest of the public. We will provide proper answers and explanations on the same. The commissioners have issued a response with regard to this memo and I don’t think it should now be a big deal for now," he stated.
Chiloba disclosed that they had finalized the budget for Presidential elections which would cost about Sh12 Billion and would be presenting it to the treasury for approval.
He maintained that he was not partisan to any side when conducting the elections which informed his decision to not vote.
"My loyalty is to the people of Kenya and the Constitution. I did not take up this job because I wanted to please any party or individual. I did not vote because I don’t want my preference when it comes to voting to affect my judgments when it comes to my role in the commission.
"A lot of things have been said about my character, but I know myself and what I stand for," he concluded.
