Senate meeting was cancelled, we didn't snub summonses - IEBC officials

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati announces results of the repeat presidential election at the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre in Nairobi, October 30, 2017. /MONICAH MWANGI
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati announces results of the repeat presidential election at the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre in Nairobi, October 30, 2017. /MONICAH MWANGI

IEBC officials have dismissed reports that they snubbed summonses to face the Senate Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on Friday morning.

The team led by Chairman Wafula Chebukati said they were told the sessions had been called off.

Chebukati and the two remaining commissioners - Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu - were to answer questions surrounding the troubles the commission has been facing.

Three commissioners resigned on Monday, saying Chebukati was a bad leader.

The officials were initially

to appear before the committee on Tuesday but Chebukati said they could not due to by-elections in two counties.

The committee expected them to appear today but media liaisons Martin Mutua and Njeri Manga sent an alert saying the meeting had been called off.

They said that was the message from Chebukati and that reasons for the cancellations were not given.

Via Twitter, the commission said:

"We were on our way to honour the invitation by the Senate committee ... for a meeting this morning when they called to call it off."

The IEBC has been on spot since the Auditor General raised questions on spending in the 2013 general election.

After the report, CEO Ezra Chiloba was sent on a three-month compulsory leave, Chebukati saying it would allow investigations into all the issues raised.

Chebukati's move to suspend Chiloba left the commission divided with Vice Chair Consolata Nkatha and commissioners Margaret Mwachanya and Paul Kurgat standing in support of Chiloba.

This saw them resign during a live press conference.

There were reports that four days after the three resigned, they had not formally submitted their resignation letters to Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

The commissioners said their decisions were with immediate effect and that they were to submit their letters to the President through Kinyua.

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