IEBC bosses should not be sent packing, say members
What you need to know:
- The committee’s deliberations were on the final report to the House on a petition by Mr Wafula Buke.
- Most committee members endorsed a report that says the petition does not disclose grounds for removal of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Most members of a parliamentary committee do not see the need to further investigate top officials in the electoral commission.
The majority of the 28 members of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee said there was no justification for the President to establish a tribunal to investigate commissioners of the country’s electoral agency. (READ: House members split over IEBC)
The members of the committee chaired by Mr Samuel Chepkonga met on Wednesday evening to discuss the adoption of the final report on the petition.
The committee’s deliberations were on the final report to the House on a petition by Mr Wafula Buke. (READ: IEBC petition ‘no Cord project’)
The political activist was seeking the removal from office of electoral commission chairman Ahmed Isaack Hassan, deputy Lilian Mahiri-Zaja and members Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule, Mohammed Alawi Hussun, Albert Camus Onyango Bwire, Kule Galma Godana, Yusuf Nzibo and Muthoni Wangai.
Five Cord MPs disagreed.
GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL
Nyeri County MP Priscillah Nyokabi proposed the majority report and she was seconded by Konoin MP Sammy Koech.
Most committee members endorsed a report that says the petition does not disclose grounds for removal of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
But the five Cord MPs said Mr Buke’s petition had sufficient grounds, facts and evidence for determination on matters of gross professional misconduct and violation of the Constitution.
MPs Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), David Ochieng (Ugenya), Christine Ombaka (Siaya Woman Rep), Tom Kajwang’ (Ruaraka) and Agostino Neto (Ndhiwa) dissented and presented a minority report to the Committee.
