MPs Suffer Setback in Plan to Kick Out Cherera & Other 3 Commissioners

The process of kicking out Juliana Cherera and three other Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials suffered a setback after the rise of splinter groups within the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC). 

Members of JLAC reportedly fell out over the procedure and pace to use in hearing the petitions seeking the removal of Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya, and Irene Masit. 

On Tuesday, November 22, the committee allegedly failed to agree on the modalities for handling the four petitions filed by Republican Party and three other individuals, Dennis Ndwiga Nthumbi, Geoffrey Lang’at, and Steve Gerry Owuor.

Some committee members cried foul over the rushed process, which they argued failed to provide sufficient evidence on the memorandum submitted to kick out the four commissioners. 

IEBC Commissioners hold presser at Nairobi Hotel on Monday, August 15, 2022.

Courtesy

The members also allegedly failed to strike a deal on time to be allocated to grilling the IEBC commissioners. 

Besides the division, the committee faced quorum risk ahead of the East African games scheduled to take place in South Sudan.

With the planned December recess, the process is now set to extend till 2023, when IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati exits office. 

While approving the motion seeking the removal of the four IEBC commissioners, National Assembly speaker, Moses Wetangula, directed the committee members to follow due process.

The four will know their fate when the committee reports on whether President William Ruto should form a tribunal to probe their case or not.

Upon tabling the report by the committee, the House will have 10 days to decide whether the petition has valid grounds. 

The reports on the division came after a section of Azimio lawyers accused IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati, Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Mulu of misusing public funds on foreign trips.

"The outgoing commissioners have gone on a rampage by misusing public resources, which have been allocated to IEBC for its operations.

"We have recorded multiple foreign trips on unspecified missions and engineered to benefit a select group in the commission," the leader of the minority, Opiyo Wandayi, claimed, further compounding IEBC's case. 

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati releasing the presidential election results at Bomas of Kenya on August 15, 2022

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