IEBC nominee Juliana Cherera has said she would stay put in office even if she were to encounter attempts at external interference with her work or pressure from politicians to resign before elections.
Appearing before the National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs committee on Tuesday for approval hearings, Cherera said she would put the interests of the public first.
"If things become sour, I will stay put. I'll be like a captain. You know captains never abandon the ship, " she said.
"I will go for the interest of the public first. I will speak for the vulnerable and those who do not have a voice."
Members of the committee had asked Cherera to explain how she would handle pressure from various sources to quit just before elections, which could put the country in disarray. Legislators cited the last General Election where some commissioners quit at a critical moment for the electoral body.
A section of ODM leaders are demanding that IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati leaves office before the General Election.
The call has however been opposed by One Kenya Alliance leaders who say the leadership of electoral body cannot be changed less than a year to elections.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma sought to know whether Cherera would have resigned if she was a commissioner when the Supreme Court nullified the 2017 presidential election.
Cherera said resigning would have been the last thing on her mind and she would have respected the judgement.
"I would have respected the verdict and embark on planning a repeat election. I would have been keen to close all the gaps that could cause issues going forward, " she added.
Edited by CM
