2 top-level Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials who resigned shocked their former colleagues as they arrived at the body’s Anniversary Towers headquarters on Friday.
Former Vice-Chair Connie Maina and her fellow commissioners Paul Kurgat and Margaret Mwachanya quit on April 16th citing a lack of confidence in Chairperson Wafula Chebukati’s leadership.
It remains unclear why 2 of the commissioners; Maina and Mwachanya, returned to work on Friday but they proceeded to their respective offices.
Chebukati is said to have vehemently protested the commissioners’ surprise move.
When contacted by Kenyans.co.ke, IEBC Communications Director Andrew Limo maintained that he could not confirm the reports that reached our desk.
The commissioners resigned after Chebukati suspended IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba to allow for an audit into procurement processes around the 2017 General Election.
Chiloba fought the suspension, filing a case at the Employment and Labour Relations Court which backed Chebukati, ruling that Chiloba suffered no prejudice.
Earlier this year, activist Okiya Omtatah moved to court seeking to compel the former commissioners to correctly quit and pave way for their replacement.
He argued that they were still drawing salaries and enjoying perks associated with their positions despite having resigned.
The commissioners, however, shifted the blame to President Uhuru Kenyatta stating that he had yet to declare vacancies at the electoral body.
“That as far as I am concerned, I have resigned as a commissioner but my resignation is yet to be officially communicated, and no vacancy has been declared. It can therefore not be said that I am the reason recruitment has not commenced. The inference by the applicant (Omtatah) in his application is factually and legally incorrect,” the commissioners stated in separate but similar affidavits.
