Garissa Township MP-elect Aden Duale now wants four 'rebel' commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEBC) ejected from office over alleged violation of the constitution and gross misconduct.
The four commissioners led by Vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera fell out with commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati over the presidential election. The four featured prominently in the just concluded presidential petition lodged at the Supreme Court after disowning the results announced by Chebukati.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 7, Duale took issue with the commissioners' attempt to reconcile with the IEBC boss following the dismissal of the presidential petition filed by Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga and six others.
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Yesterday, Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit openly supported a statement issued by Chebukati on Monday stating that the commission had been vindicated following accusations by Raila and his running mate, Martha Karua that they bungled the August 9 election.
Reacting to the quartet's change of tune, Duale said the commissioners must face the music for their actions that nearly plunged the country into a crisis.
"Today, the four IEBC Commissioners issued a statement which I can only call abuse to the Kenyan People. The four Commissioners purported all of a sudden to support the statement by the IEBC Chairperson that the 9th August elections were free and fair. They further stated that they would respect the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the presidential election results!
"What a change of tune! These are the same Commissioners who almost took this country into a crisis as they purported to make false claims not only against the Chair but of an election that they oversaw to the end but on realising their 'masters' had failed they purported to create confusion at the 11th hour," Duale said.
"These are the same Commissioners who looked straight to the cameras without blinking and made false statements that the elections were opaque and a one-man show just to discredit the electoral process and overturn the clear win of our President-elect William Ruto.
"They went ahead and filed pleadings and tonnes of paragraphs in fabricated Affidavits alleging and lying how 'the results were unverified and never approved' and hence they begged, prayed and forever prayed that the Supreme Court would nullify the elections."
The former National Assembly Majority Leader stated that the four should be held accountable for bias.
"These are the same commissioners who walked out of Bomas after being persuaded by their 'masters' to disregard the sovereign will of the people!" he exclaimed.
"What has suddenly changed for the runaway commissioners? Just because all their evil plans failed now they want us to move on as if nothing ever happened?
"No, it cannot be business as usual! The actions in what appeared like cinema featuring Cherera as the lead actor and voice actress is a pure blatant gross violation of the Constitution and the law for attempting to subvert the will of People through fabrications."
According to Duale, the commissioners' actions amount to gross misconduct.
"The four commissioners should be held accountable both individually and collectively! They cannot turn on and off like a switch and expect us to just forget everything. They must face the music.
"Article 251 of the Constitution which provides for the removal of commissioners on grounds of gross violation of the Constitution and gross misconduct can only be the only solution! This is the music they must face!" he added.
Change your tune but you must face the Music!
1. Today, the four IEBC Commissioners issued a statement which I can only call abuse to the Kenyan People.— Hon. Aden Duale, EGH, MP (@HonAdenDuale) September 6, 2022
A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it could not nullify the election of William Ruto on the basis of a “boardroom rupture”.
