No shortcuts in disbandment of IEBC, Speaker Muturi to CORD

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has said there will be no short cuts in the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Muturi said doing so is akin to overthrowing the same Constitution that the opposition leader Raila Odinga fought for.

He said the installation of the commissioners as spelt out in the IEBC Act was bestowed on a committee appointed by the President, Prime Minister, anti-corruption advisory board, Judicial Service Commission and professionals adding that sending the commissioners home is tantamount to creating a constitutional coup.

“In the previous Constitution, the President had powers to appoint and remove the commissioners but in the new Constitution he cannot do so,” he said.

“We want to the opposition to point out where the IEBC commissioners have erred. If the commissioners are dropped, CORD will also demand for the removal of the Supreme Court. They are seeking to overthrow the constitution through riots.”

Speaking after the thanksgiving service for Public Service Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki at Gakinduriri ACK Church in Embu County on Sunday, Muturi said the country should review what the current commissioners have done and where they erred for correction and if need be they can voluntarily retire.

Muturi said all Kenyans must respect the law pointing out that even President Uhuru Kenyatta rescinded the appointment of 10,000 police officers last year when he was told that was the duty of the National Police Service Commission.

Former Cooperatives Minister Njeru Ndwiga said IEBC was the creation of Mr Odinga when he shared power with President Kibaki in the last government hence the opposition’s demos were meant to give relevance to CORD.

Other leaders present during the thanksgiving were Embu Governor Martin Wambora, Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire and his Manyatta counterpart John Muchiri who called for peace in the country.

Meanwhile, Meru County will enter the list of counties that will hold anti-IEBC protests Monday. Others are Mombasa, Nairobi, Kakamega and Bungoma.

CORD has insisted that it will not relent in its push to have IEBC overhauled over procedural procurement of BVR kits in the run-up to the 2013 elections and apparent plan to rig the next elections in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The commission, through its chair Ahmed Issack Hassan has, however, rubbished CORD’s claims calling on them to produce evidence.