This comes days after Azimio leader Raila Odinga and opposition luminaries vowed to fight against what they termed a scheme to “victimise” a section of IEBC staff.
A petition by the Farmers Party has been submitted to Parliament to kick out commissioners Justus Abonyo, Irene Cherop and Francis Wanderi.
Raila said they will not allow IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioner CEO Hussein Marjan to target some of the staff who were accused of aiding rebellion within the commission.
Despite the Azimio protests, Kulundu, who was Marjan's deputy, has been sent packing as the commission moves to contain internal rebellion and restore order.
Kulundu was accused by the IEBC of insubordination and aiding the operations of the four commissioners who disputed the presidential results declaration terming them "opaque”.
The Star has established that she was sent packing on Tuesday after failing to satisfactorily respond to a show cause letter written to her by Marjan.
“She was sent packing on Tuesday,” said an insider aware of the commission's decision, but who sought anonymity because he is not authorised to speak for the electoral agency.
The latest action could trigger a political storm after Azimio insisted they would resist any plan to discipline IEBC staff and commissioners linked to the "opaque" four.
Marjan had accused Kulundu of “incorrigible demeanour and outright misconduct in the past weeks” following last month's presidential election.
Marjan accused Kulundu of, among other things, convening a commission plenary meeting on August 26 without his approval or delegation.
This particular plenary meeting was attended by the four breakaway IEBC commissioners led by vice chairperson Jualiana Cherera without the authority of Chebukati.
It was allegedly during the "illegal commission meeting” that the four purported to make decisions on behalf of IEBC in relation to its stand on the Supreme Court proceedings, which were then ongoing.
The four commissioners “illegally” resolved to have parallel lawyers represent them during the Supreme Court hearings in which they were discrediting the presidential results.
“You impersonated the CEO and usurped his responsibilities as you purported to perform his duties without his authority or delegation. Moreover, Plenary Meeting No. 279 had already been held thus voiding the ‘other’ meeting of August 26 where you were secretary, rendering it illegal,” Marjan wrote to Kulundu.
In the letter, Marjan informed his deputy that the IEBC Act is clear that the CEO “shall be the secretary at all meetings of the commission.”
According to Marjan, Kulundu's actions amounted to insubordination and a serious breach of her employment contract which would lead to dismissal.
He also accused his deputy of threatening and intimidating junior staff, and “attacking, insulting and threatening” acting director of voter registration and operations Moses Sunkuli.
Sunkuli swore an affidavit to the Supreme Court on matters touching on verification, collation, tallying and declaration of results in which he affirmed that the procedure was aboveboard.
In detail, Sunkuli submitted affidavits in support of Chebukati's presidential results against at least seven petitions that challenged President William Ruto's victory in the August 9 general election.
“It is a gross misconduct to use threats and intimidation or behave in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace as stipulated under Commission Human Resource and Administration Policies and Procedures Manual,” Marjan had warned Kulundu.
President Ruto declared Chebukati the hero of Kenya, saying he rejected intimidation, blackmail and bribery to alter the presidential results.
Anxiety is rife within the rank and file of the IEBC, with some staff members said to be at the centre of the rebellion fearing they could be up next.
Edited by A.N
