Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Thursday requested the government to constitute a body that would start the process of replacing the commissioners who resigned.
Speaking to the National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, Chebukati admitted that the institution has been incapacitated to make any policy decision following the resignation of the three commissioners last month.
The IEBC Chairman told the committee that the remaining commissioners are waiting for the authority to appoint other commissioners for them to work effectively.
[caption caption="File image of IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati"]
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He also mentioned that the commission cannot hold any plenary meeting, as they now lack the statutory quorum to convene.
"The IEBC Act places the quorum for a board meeting to make any policy decision at five commissioners, and therefore we cannot have a plenary meeting for lack of the numbers. However, all other activities at the commission are going on well,” Chebukati told the House.
He further dismissed calls for him to resign alongside two other commissioners.
Responding to the members of the committee's concerns on the public confidence on the crucial team following the wrangles, Chebukati defended himself claiming that he still would not resign since he has no reason to do so.
However, Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch wondered how the commission intended to undertake serious duties as boundaries delimitation are expected to be undertaken this year.
According to him, the commission should only devote themselves to take up such serious tasks until when questions have been answered and the credibility of the team restored.
The commissioner was appearing before the committee to answer queries regarding the current state of the commission following the unending strife amongst the commissioners.
[caption caption="File image of IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati"]
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