The independent electoral and boundaries commission now wants the petition by activist Wafula Buke calling for the removal of its commissioners dismissed by parliament.
According to the commission’s chair Isaac Hassan, the petition lacks facts to prove allegations of incompetence and gross violation of the law by members of the commission.
“In my view, the petition ex-facie does not meet the requirements of Article 251 of the Constitution, there were no attachments to the petition, the petition is so general and not anchored on the specifics of law or incidences such that it should be allowed,” he said.
“I believe that the petition is incompetent, is misconceived, bad in law, filed in bad faith and is an abuse of process in Parliament.”
Appearing before the parliamentary legal and justice committee, Hassan also refuted claims by Buke that none of the commission officials were before any court of law facing corruption charges citing its former CEO James Oswago who is currently facing corruption charges.
The Commission however admitted that it faced various challenges during the election, but that did not affect the credibility of the results.
Committee Chairman Samuel Chepkonga directed that each Commissioner make their individual submission because the petition did not target them collectively.
In his petition, Buke wants Parliament to find that the IEBC violated the Constitution in the manner it handled the disputed presidential poll where President Uhuru Kenyatta beat CORD leader Raila Odinga
Hassan however found himself on the receiving end when his request for the petition to be dismissed was opposed by a section of committee members led by Ruaraka Mp TJ Kajwang and his Ndhiwa counterpart Augustine Neto.
AUTHOR: BEN GUMO.