IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati has rekindled the tussle between the commission and Seth Panyako, a contender in the Kakamega senatorial race.
Chebukati, in a press briefing on Wednesday, accused Panyako of seeking to blackmail the commission through his petition to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.
He stated that Panyako had been dissatisfied and disgruntled by the flop in his petition and appeal in the case opposing the election of Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and was dodging compensating IEBC.
The IEBC Chairman held that after losing both at the High Court and at the appeal stage, Panyako did not want to pay Ksh3 Million in litigation costs to IEBC, its returning officer and Senator Malala who he listed as respondents in the elections case.
Chebukati indicated that Panyako's petition at the high court of Kisumu was dismissed as defective with costs that were to be shared by respondents.
"To date as we speak, he has not paid the costs to the commission and also to the other parties. The petition he has filed and the allegations therein are misplaced and lacking substance.
"It is an attempt to blackmail the IEBC in a bid to distract it from pursuing the costs of litigation which he has not paid the commission," stated Chebukati.
Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, in a comment on the matter, stated that he was keen to have Panyako forced to pay him at least Kshs7 Million as legal costs. He asked the unionists to pay up the costs or face civil jail.
"He must pay the money and forget about the Senate seat. I am the senator and Panyako should stick to his profession, let him continue injecting patients because it is clear he even lacks a legal advisor," Senator Malala told Kenyans.co.ke.
Malala dismissed Panyako's petition to parliament terming it as misplaced given the matter had been settled in court adding that the House had no jurisdiction handling matters election petitions.
