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Petition to remove IEBC bosses sent to Parliament

The petition by activists Robert Buke Wafula and Justus Wamutura was handed to CORD Members of Parliament who want to push it through Parliament/JOSEPH MURAYA

The petition by activists Robert Buke Wafula and Justus Wamutura was handed to CORD Members of Parliament who want to push it through Parliament/JOSEPH MURAYA

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 28 – Plans to eject nine commissioners from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have gone a notch higher with the presentation of a petition to the National Assembly.

The petition by activists Robert Buke Wafula and Justus Wamutura was handed to CORD Members of Parliament who want to push it through Parliament.

In the petition, the activists argue that the commissioners are in violation of the constitution for carrying out substandard registration of voters, as well as their conduct during the last General Election.

“In the exercise of the registration of voters and compilation of voters register and in the conduct of the General Election of 2013 the commissioners are in serious violation of the Constitution and laws of Kenya,” he said.

They also accused them of “gross misconduct in performance of the functions and duties as commissioners, and incompetence in the management of the 2013 elections.”

They also alleged that “in the procurement of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVID) during the General Election of 2013, the commissioners grossly mismanaged the use of public finances contrary to Article 201 of the constitution as read with Article 10.”

They claim the many election petitions in the courts are evidence of a misappropriated election.

The activists are also asking President Uhuru Kenyatta to set up a tribunal to probe the nine Commissioners, who include chairman Issack Hassan and the vice chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja.

Other commissioners are Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule , Mohamed Alawi Hussun, Albert Camus Onyango Bwire, Kule Galma Godana, Yusuf Nzibo and Muthoni Wangai.

One of the CORD MPs, John Mbadi said the ground was now set for disbandment of the IEBC, with presentation of the petition.

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“Elections are not something to play around with…as a country if we feel or any citizen of this country feels that the commissioners have mismanaged the elections, that is a betrayal of trust given by people of Kenya,” he said.

“I hope this time we will get commissioners who don’t betray Kenyans again.”

Mohammed Junet, Suna East MP said, “I believe this is the beginning of removal of IEBC.”

“We have many petitions in the courts from the last General Election; that is an indication that the electoral commission never conducted any proper election in this country in the year 2013.”

He said the petition to remove the IEBC bosses was not prompted because they were not in power saying, “even if we were to lose an election, we want to lose it in a free, fair and transparent manner.”

Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed the calls for the disbandment of the IEBC, saying losers should be graceful in defeat.

Ruto said the culture of disbanding institutions because individuals have lost elections was dangerous for the country.

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