IEBC commissioners’ secret letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta

IEBC Commissioners (from left) Muthoni Wangai, Yusuf Nzibo and Mohammed Alawi. PHOTO: FILE

NAIROBI: Four electoral commissioners have written to the President expressing their willingness to quit upon being paid their dues.

Commissioners Abdullahi Sharawe, Yusuf Nzibo, Kule Galma Godana and Albert Bwire wrote to President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 20 indicating that they were willing to resign from the polls body.

In the letter to the President, the commissioners said although the process of removing them was clear and would require a tribunal, it would be tedious and time consuming and would not give incoming commissioners enough time to prepare and supervise the 2017.

Sharawe, Nzibo, Godana and Bwire’s letter read: “We the commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission resolve that for the sake of our country, a sign of nationalistic gesture, for purposes of investment in Kenya for the present and future generation, in the interest of peace and harmony and in good faith wish to express our willingness to voluntarily retire from public service, in order to accord new commissioners adequate time to settle and prepare for elections.”

The resignation leaves only chairman Issack Hassan, Vice Chairperson Lilian Mahiri-Zaja, Thomas Letangule, Muthoni Wangai and Mohamed Alawi Hussun at the helm of the poll’s body. In the four-page letter stamped secret and signed by the commissioners, they noted that their resignation would cool temperatures, especially following weeks of prolonged demonstrations by the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

Two weeks ago, Nzibo broke down when he sought to clear his name over claims he was involved in the Chickengate scandal when he and the other commissioners appeared before the National Assembly Justice and Legal Committee. IEBC is alleged to have awarded a lucrative contract to a UK firm under dubious circumstances.

“It has destroyed both my reputation and that of my family. I have had a very distinguished reputation,” said Nzibo.

On Thursday, the committee, co-chaired by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and his Siaya counterpart James Orengo, summoned the commissioners to appear before it on Monday morning to give their presentation on reforms that they would want to see in the polls body.

In their letter, Nzibo, Sharawe, Bwire and Godana however demanded to be paid for the unexpired period and gratuity for the six years they served.

They also ask the government to consider additional payment being ex-gratia due to reputation damage inflicted on the commissioners.

The commissioners said the submission of a petition to Parliament and setting up of independent and individual tribunal for the nine commissioners will be time consuming and expensive,” read the letter.

“Your Excellency, we want to assure you that we have always performed our mandate in accordance to our oath of office and the Constitution,” ends the letter signed by the four commissioners.

Their terms would have expired on November 9, 2017.

On Wednesday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich told the joint select committee that his ministry was ready to pay off the commissioners’ dues if they opted to leave office before their term ends.

Rotich said although the money had not been factored in the budget, it would be “an unforeseen expense that would be catered for by the contingency fund”.

“When we write the budget, we do not assume that something like this is going to happen. There was no discussion on the exit of the commissioners. However, we have contingency funds for such unforeseen expenditure,” Rotich said.