Chebukati and remaining commissioners should resign-Aden Duale

Majority leader Aden Duale. He has asked IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and the other two remaining commissioners to resign as the commission has failed to earn the trust of Kenyans.(Courtesy)

GARISSA—National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale has asked IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and the other two remaining commissioners to resign to “save face” as the commission has failed to earn the trust of Kenyans.

Speaking on Sunday, Duale noted that IEBC lacks credibility and has failed to form a quorum to carry out its mandate.

“They should be men enough to tell the country that we did not offer leadership and we must call it a day,” Duale said.

The other two commissioners are Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu.

The Garissa township Legislator said he is working on a bill to amend the first schedule of the IEBC Act to establish a permanent panel that will be in charge of recruiting the commission’s chairman and commissioners whenever a vacancy arises.

He accused Chebukati of failing miserably in leading the commission. “It is now clear that he (Chebukati) not only failed to unite his own commissioners and offer leadership, but also failed to work in a seamless way with the Secretariat. Both Chebukati and (suspended) CEO Ezra Chiloba have failed Kenyans,” Duale said.

On Friday, however, the IEBC boss declined to resign, calling anyone with a dissatisfaction on how the commission is operating to follow the right channels of the law.

“They have no legal basis and the undue pressure is unwarranted. It must cease forthwith. In the last one year we have been in office, we have been able to deliver on our mandate,” Chebukati said.

Senior government officials are also agitating for the removal of the three commissioners.

The IEBC commissioners according to the government officials have three options: going the tribunal way to investigate their conduct, make it impossible for them to work and force them to resign on their own, or a negotiated approach that will have them resign voluntarily.

On Monday last week, three IEBC commissioners resigned for what they termed lack of leadership by Chebukati. Vice chairperson Consolata Nkatha, Paul Kurgat and Margaret Mwachanya declared their departure from the commission.

Duale was speaking in Garissa during the graduation ceremony of Madarastul Khadija