By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

NAIROBI; KENYA: Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Thursday defied Parliament when electoral chiefs refused to take oath while appearing before a House committee.

All the eight commissioners, led by chairman Issack Hassan, were appearing before Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs committee to present computed results of the 2013 General Election, a meeting that aborted as IEBC refused orders to take oath.

Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, on a point of order, asked committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga to direct Hassan and his eight commissioners present to be sworn in before engaging the committee since the matter at hand was of great public interest.

Wamalwa cited provisions of the Constitution which provide that any person appearing before a committee of Parliament to provide evidence or information, should be under oath.

Protested request

However, Hassan protested the request saying they were not prepared for it as they were only providing information and not evidence to the committee. Wamalwa’s demand was supported by Emurua Dikkir MP Hosea Ng’eno, Baringo North’s William Cheptumo, Homabay Town’s Peter Kaluma, Borabu’s Ben Momanyi, Olago Aluoch (Kisumu West) and nominated MP Bishop Mutemi.

Kasarani MP John Chege, Kiharu’s Irungu Kangata and Moses Cheboi (Kuresoi North) came to the aid of besieged IEBC, arguing it was compulsory for the commission to take oath.

Ng’eno particularly warned that the committee should not be reduced into an informal meeting, saying members would not accept to be party to the session if an oath is not administered on the IEBC boss.

Chepkonga ruled that for purposes of openness and in the spirit of the Constitution, the commissioners be sworn in.

Hassan then interjected saying that the electoral bosses felt discriminated against as others appearing before the Justice committee had never been sworn in.

“Mr chairman, on behalf of the entire commission, we feel that the law has been applied selectively. We have appeared before this committee and other constitutional commissions and have not been asked to take oath,” he said adding; “In any case some of us are fasting and cannot lie while under oath.”

The IEBC boss then requested from ten minutes to walk out of the meeting and agree amongst themselves; with journalists also directed to leave the meeting room to give MPs room to consult.

 Later, the nine commissioners returned to the committee room for a closed door consultation where journalist were kept out and after about half an hour of arguments and counter arguments, reporters were called in for Chepkonga to announce adjournment of the meeting.