Move to shield Chiloba from being sacked flops

The Labour Court on Thursday declined to issue orders barring the suspension of sacking of electoral commission officials after a lobby filed petition seeking protection of top officials from looming disciplinary procedures over bungled presidential election.

On Thursday, the Kenya Independent Commissions Workers Union filed a case against IEBC in court over the threat to fire IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba and others from office.

The union through lawyer Irene Wambui Ndegwa want the court to issue permanent injunction restraining IEBC from making public announcement to the effect that it would suspend or terminate the employment of Ezra Chiloba, Immaculate Kassait, James Muhati, Betty Nyabuto, Praxedes Tororey, Moses Kipkogey ,IEBC returning officers and any member of staff of the secretariat of IEBC.

“The actions of the respondent’s chairperson [constitutes] a breach of the Constitution and the claimants legitimate expectation and have exposed the said employees and indeed all staff of the Secretariat of IEBC to intimidation and condemnation in the public opinion without any investigation, report or findings by IEBC that they or any of them committed the irregularities and illegalities alluded to in the determination of the Supreme Court,” read the petition.

According to the Union, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s public announcement on the fate of the six IEBC employees was premature, in bad faith and unwarranted.

However, Justice Nelson Abuodha certified the case as urgent and directed that the matter be heard inter-party on September 20 this year.

Following the court orders, the IEBC CEO Chiloba fired a tweet saying he did not instruct anyone to go to court on his behalf on any matter quipping that ‘we make progress if we avoid sideshows.’