Electoral commission meeting with Jubilee, NASA aborts

Ruto was accompanied to the meeting by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen/DPPS

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 12 – A meeting called by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission with the top leadership of Jubilee and the National Super Alliance (NASA) Tuesday failed to take off.

The meeting aborted after NASA leaders walked out, citing the absence of Jubilee leaders and an agenda, which they said was only shared when they arrived for the talks.

NASA leaders led by presidential candidate Raila Odinga arrived for the talks at Anniversary Towers at about 11am, but walked out about an hour later.

NASA leaders led by presidential candidate Raila Odinga arrived for the talks at Anniversary Towers at about 11am, but walked out about an hour later/FILE

The leaders, who included his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka and co-principal Musalia Mudavadi, said they would not proceed with the meeting due to a ‘strange document’ given to them by the Commission.

Mudavadi told journalists that NASA was prepared to hold a structured meeting bringing all stakeholders on board.

As soon as they left, Jubilee leaders led by DP William Ruto arrived at Anniversary Towers and held brief discussions with the Commissioners before addressing journalists to explain why they showed up late.

Ruto said they had already called a Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting by the time the IEBC meeting was confirmed Monday night, and it was not possible to postpone it.

Ruto said they had already called a Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting by the time the IEBC meeting was confirmed Monday night, and it was not possible to postpone it/MOSES MUOKI

Mudavadi told journalists that NASA was prepared to hold a structured meeting bringing all stakeholders on board/MOSES MUOKI

He said the PG took longer than expected but that explained that he had made an effort to show up at Anniversary Towers.

Ruto was accompanied to the meeting by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen.

The meeting comes amid accusations from the ruling party that the Commission’s Chairman Wafula Chebukati was working in cahoots with their opponents.

But after a religious leaders-mediated retreat in Naivasha Monday, Chebukati termed the claims as unfounded and assured that all commission officials are non-partisan.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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