Chebukati Pokes Fun at Flying Out With Chiloba’s Office Key

A joke by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chair Wafula Chebukati on suspended Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba's office keys rubbed a section of Kenyans the wrong way.

Chebukati was poking fun at recent events that saw Chiloba unable to access his office whose locks he found changed after a court ordered his reinstatement following his challenge against an initial three-month suspension.

“I came back but I couldn’t access the office… The doors are locked as you people reported. Of course I can’t force myself back but I hope this matter can be resolved through courts or in any other way,” he told the press at Anniversary Towers on Wednesday.

In response to a tweet from IEBC informing another user that Chebukati did not hold any office keys, the Chairman stated: "Was going to joke that my wife has them in her handbag but this is the correct position."

[caption caption="Chebukati's tweet"][/caption]

Chebukati suspended Chiloba for a second time on Thursday last week, just hours after the Employment and Labour Relations Court ordered that he be reinstated.

Following the move, pressure to kick the Chairman out of office has been mounting on allegations of making decisions without a quorum to back him.

Sources within the commission have further accused him micromanaging the Commission.

“All we want is Chebukati and the three remaining commissioners to quit and pave way for the recruitment of a fresh team to office as his leadership of the commission becomes evidently questionable,” an official at the IEBC hinted.

“The leadership of the commission is fixated on removing Chiloba from IEBC so much so nothing is going on even as several by-elections beckon,” the staff told Kenyans.co.ke on condition of anonymity.

Chebukati's joke seemingly offended many Kenyans who accused him of bungling elections in 2017 while others demanded that he leave office immediately and the entire commission be disbanded.

"The C in IEBC also stands for Circus," one user wrote.

Here are some of the reactions: