IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati has vowed to stay put despite resignation of three commissioners who punctured his leadership capability at the commission.
He said that he will not resign because each commissioner is appointed to serve on an individual capacity.
“He also told us that work will continue even as staff challenged him to explain if the commission was properly constituted with quorum to transact business,” a Senior IEBC staff told the Star.
Yesterday, Vice Chair Connie Maina, Commissioners Paul Kurgat and Margret Mwachanya tendered their resignation citing lack of faith in Chebukati’s leadership.
“The chairman has in several instances failed to be rye steady and stable hand to steer the commission ship,” read a joint statement from the three commissioners.
They also said that external forces had greatly undermined IEBC’s independence according to the Star. “The Commissioners must all serve solely for the purpose that we were appointed. We must banish external players from the Commission boardroom and reclaim the Commission’s independence.”
Chebukati in a statement on Monday afternoon said he only received the resignation news from the media.
“The Commission will give a comprehensive statement at an appropriate time.”
However, a senior IEBC staff said upon receiving the news of their resignation, the IEBC Chair was visibly shocked.
“The chairman was caught totally unawares. When he started the meeting, he told us that Mwachanya was away on official duty, Kurgat was on leave and Maina was on her way to attend the meeting. Once the news broke, the chair looked very shocked but put up a brave face.”
With the resignation of now four commissioners including Dr. Roselyn Akombe who resigned days to the repeat presidential elections, IEBC’s business has automatically stalled due to lack of quorum.
“The quorum for the conduct of business at a meeting of the Commission shall be at least five members of the Commission,” states The IEBC Act 2012 (Clause 5).
Further, in all its meetings, the IEBC CEO is to be the Secretary. But Chebukati suspended Ezra Chiloba for three months over alleged flawed procurement processes.
Chiloba’s exit from the commission culminated in the resignation of the three commissioners who, earlier, were not in tandem with Chebukati’s decision to suspend him.
“The events related to the purported vote (to suspend the CEO) have greatly shaken our already feeble confidence in the chair,” said the three in their resignation statement.
Their resignation has once again, hit the political class who are now calling for Chebukati’s resignation together with that of commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu who supported Chiloba’s suspension.
“Chebukati, Molu & Guliye must resign from IEBC within the next seven days or we form a tribunal to investigate them,” Kipchumba Murkomen, Senate Majority Leader yesterday said.
Senate Minority Leader James Orengo stated: “Chebukati must now lead other commissioners out by tendering his resignation together with the two remaining commissioners and the entire secretariat.”