Members of the Azimio la Umoja Coalition have given the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) a 24-hour deadline to reinstate Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Kulundu.
Addressing the media shortly after police used tear gas to disperse them outside the electoral body’s offices at Anniversary Towers on Monday during a peaceful protest, the leaders claimed that Kulundu’s interdiction was intended to intimidate leaders who were whistleblowers.
“It is part of a well-orchestrated scheme to intimidate public officers who stand by the rule of law but also question upholding free and fair elections,” Members of Parliament led by Ruaraka’s TJ Kajwang stated.
“We hereby order that IEBC immediately reinstates Ruth Kulundu to her rightful position of deputy CEO within the next 24 hours, failure to which we shall take stern action against Chebukati.”
The lawmakers claimed that the commission violated human resource practices by failing to follow proper procedures in handling the disciplinary proceedings against Kulundu.
“The Chairman unilaterally decided to interdict Madam Kulundu just like that in Mombasa. The commission never sat down to deliberate on the issues of Kulundu. Marjan can’t fire his deputy because the deputy is employed by the commission not Marjan,” Kajwang said.
In a joint statement, they claimed that both IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and CEO Marjan Hussein were hellbent on handing over the institutions’ independence to the Executive.
“While their actions remain heroic in the eyes of beneficiaries, the Azimio leadership puts the duo on notice for eroding the gains we have made in transforming the electoral system in Kenya,” Kajwang said.
Marjan accused Kulundu of misconduct for convening an unapproved commission plenary meeting.
The four commissioners who contested the 2022 presidential election results chose law firms to represent the commission in the consolidated presidential election petition at the meeting.
