An elections expert has filed a petition in Parliament seeking to disband the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on grounds of gross incompetence and lack of integrity among the top officials.
Barasa Nyukuri of Bungoma has submitted the petition to the National Assembly and the Senate, in which he wants MPs to begin a process of sending home IEBC officials.
National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi and his Senate counterpart Jeremiah Nyegenye received the petition on Thursday.
According to Mr Nyukuri, the proposal by President Uhuru Kenyatta on the formation of a Parliamentary Committee to deal with the IEBC crisis was not supported by the Constitution.
The petitioner wants IEBC chairman Issack Hassan, commissioners Lillian Mahiri-Zaja (vice chairperson), Abdulahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule, Mohammed Alawi, Albert Bwire, Kule Godana, Yusuf Nzibo and Muthoni Wangai removed from office.
“The IEBC Chairman together with the eight commissioners, commission’s executive officer/secretary and directors of the directors who organised, managed and supervised the last General Election are incompetent,” he said in the petition.
“They lack integrity and credibility to preside over the next General Election and therefore Parliament should start a process of removing them from office immediately,” added Mr Nyukuri, who describes himself as a Constitutional, Governance and Election Expert, with over 20 years’ experience in the field.
He cites the process of procuring biometric voter registration kits that was riddled with bribery allegations and failure by IEBC to investigate and prosecute Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula over an electoral offence, among others as proof of incompetence.
