CS Rotich, SRC delaying hiring of new IEBC commissioners- Muturi

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has blamed Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for delayed hiring of new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners, saying talks on send off perks for current commissioners yet to start.

In a statement, Muturi said the Treasury was yet to come up with a send-off package for the outgoing commissioners, even after the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on IEBC recommended same.

According to Muturi’s statement, the IEBC chair and commissioners had given verbal commitment to the JSC that once the process was concluded, they would voluntarily resign.

“Needless to say, there are  offers form the National Treasury coupled with loud silence by the SRC to facilitate execution of this agreement by the current occupiers to vacate office. By the by, the country might be losing the goodwill of this gentleman’s agreement as time flies towards the next general election,” read the statement in part.

The National Assembly Speaker noted that recruitment of new IEBC commissioners will only happen when there are vacancies to fill at the electoral body.

“Can recruitment be done to a position whose holder is still holding office?” posed Muturi.

Muturi added there is no law compelling the nine commissioners to vacate office, even after they had voluntarily agreed to quit.

“The law provides that the office of a Chair or a Commissioner becomes vacant when the holder dies, resigns or is removed from office using the constitutionally provided mechanisms,” stated the statement in part.

Neither the SRC or the IEBC have responded to Muturi’s statement.