Garissa Township MP Aden Duale has criticised the latest move from a section of ODM legislators who warned IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati from taking any procurement process until four nominated commissioners are approved.
This comes following remarks from National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga, and Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo directed to Chebukati.
The MPs said that the commission should not take any procurement until it is fully constituted and that the chairperson risks being removed.
Responding to them on Saturday through series of tweets, Duale said that Chebukati is a referee, just like in a football match, a referee does not play the game but enforces the rules of the game.
“Do not, therefore, assign imagined blame to the referee. Get out, fold your sleeves, campaign and convince each and every Kenyan to vote for you, then sit and wait for the election date,” Duale said.
He added that those calling for the removal of Chebukati should not waste the time of Kenyans with schemes and political machinations geared towards creating anarchy, paralysis, and anxiety.
The former Majority Leader in the National Assembly questioned MPs calling for the removal of Chebukati where they have been for since the last general elections, where they would have demanded such changes.
“Have they discovered now that Chebukati is not fit to hold office? Certainly not possible. It defeats logic.”
“Well, unless it is an attempt to botch the general elections for 2022 why would anyone with sound mind call for the removal of the Chairman of IEBC with 360 days left to election date?”
The MP said that the Kriegler Report particularly recommended that Commissioners should be in office two years prior to the conduct of general elections.
“The Independent Review Commission led by the former S.A judge Johann Kriegler which investigated the aftermath of the 2007 general elections made various recommendations which inform our electoral process to date.”
“Worse still, even before the process of recruiting for the four vacant positions in IEBC is concluded, now we want the IEBC Chairman out of office. “
Duale said that the move is unfortunate, that every time the country is headed to a general election, either due to fear of losing or otherwise, political players start calling for the removal of IEBC commissioners.
During the function, Mbadi said statements from IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati are not trusted.
“Please stop that which you are doing now until we get a full commission because we don’t trust you,” Mbadi said
This comes as the commission continues planning for the 2022 General Election with three commissioners - Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye.
This article was first published on https://www.the-star.co.ke/
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