Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commision (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati vowed not to quit even as the resignation of 3 commissioners on Tuesday made it virtually impossible for IEBC to conduct any business.
Chebukati instead called on Parliament to draft laws that would enable the replacement of the 3 commissioners Consolata Maina (Vice-Chair), Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat.
“The commission assures the public that its operations are on course and we remain focused on delivering our constitutional mandate.
"As the chairman, I am committed to the course of transforming the country’s electoral management body to make it more responsive and professional,” Chebukati noted in a 3-page statement issued on Monday night.
The Chairman stated that the commissioners could have called for a review of the plenary decision to suspend CEO Ezra Chiloba instead of resigning.
[caption caption="The 3 commissioners who resigned on Tuesday"]
[/caption]
“Their action demonstrates lack of capacity to lead in difficult times and accommodate divergent views,” the statement read in part.
The 3 commissioners had announced their resignation at a Nairobi hotel on Tuesday citing lack of confidence in Chebukati's leadership.
“Given this severe deterioration of confidence in the commission chair, we find our position as commissioners under his leadership no longer tenable. Consequently, we regret to announce our resignation from the commission with immediate effect.
“The commission boardroom has become a venue for peddling misinformation, grounds for brewing mistrust and a space for scrambling for and chasing individual glory and credit,” they declared.
The recent developments at IEBC left the embattled body with only 3 commissioners; Chebukati, Prof Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu.
Legally, the commission requires at least 5 commissioners present for any business to be conducted.
“The remaining three commissioners cannot continue to conduct any business. They do not have a quorum. They have two viable options: To resign now and let a new team be appointed or that the vacant positions are filled,” explained Nzamba Kitonga, Chairman of the Committee of Experts that drafted the 2010 constitution.
[caption caption="Nzamba Kitonga"]
[/caption]
