- ODM insists it wants nothing short of free and fair elections.
- Chebukati announced withdrawal from the multi-sectoral team on Monday.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
ODM has faulted IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s move to withdraw the commission from the crucial election preparedness team.
Speaking hours after Chebukati made the announcement, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna and party’s director of elections Junet Mohammed accused the chairman of planning to bungle 2022 elections.
The Suna East MP claimed Chebukati is preparing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for 2017 type of polls, which saw the Supreme Court nullify presidential polls and ordered repeat elections.
“As ODM, we want free, fair, verifiable elections. We want to tell Chebukati we are watching you. We know what is happening,” Junet said.
He added, “We have not forgotten how you bungled [the] 2017 elections. We don’t care which party writes a letter to where, all we want as ODM is transparent, free and fair election.”
Sifuna said it is ironical that IEBC is withdrawing from the multi-sectoral team, the same team it will rely on to conduct the coming elections.
The National Multi-Sectoral Consultative Forum on Election Preparedness and Technical Working Committee brings together stakeholders to prepare for the 2022 elections.
It comprises all ministries, agencies and departments responsible for the election cycle.
These are the Judiciary, ministries of Interior and ICT, the IEBC, the Communications Authority and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
The leaders spoke yesterday at Chungwa House, where ODM boss Raila Odinga received defectors from Mandera and Isiolo counties led by Education CAS Hassan Noor, who has declared interest for the county’s top post.
Others were former EACC boss Halakhe Waqo, Mandera Woman Rep Amina Gedow and Suna West MP Peter Masara.
Masara braved the strong ODM wave in Nyanza and won on an independent ticket during the 2017 elections.
Sifuna claimed IEBC’s decision to pull out from the multi-sectoral team chaired by Chief Justice Martha Koome had to do with protest letters by Deputy President William Ruto linked UDA party.
“IEBC will need security agencies, ICT and Judiciary in the conduct of the coming elections. They should not be intimidated by a party with only one elected MP,” Sifuna said.
In a letter to Interior PS Karanja Kibicho dated November 22, Chebukati said the agency had made the decision to withdraw from the National Multi-Sectoral Consultative Forum on Election Preparedness and Technical Working Committee after consultations, adding that the panel would interfere with its independence.
"After consultations and and in-depth critical appraisal of the TORs... the IEBC would wish to respectfully withdraw from further engagement in the activities of the said NMSCF and TWC," he said.
The letter was copied to Attorney General Kihara Kariuki, Koome, Treasury CS Ukur Yatani, ICT CS Joe Mucheru, NIS director general Philip Kameru, IG Hillary Mutyambai, DPP Noordin Haji among others.
Chebukati’s letter follows UDA’s protest complaint to Koome, urging her to keep off management of elections.
UDA complained of Koome's "continuous involvement in the working of the technical working committee which is tasked and mandated with 2022 election preparedness."
-Edited by SKanyara