- The committee wants IEBC’s vice chair Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyangaya, Irene Masit and Francis Wanderi kicked out.
- President William Ruto had last week signalled his approval of the process when he told off the opposition over their spirited support of the four.
Fireworks loom large in National Assembly Thursday afternoon as MPs debate a report by the Justice and legal affairs committee that has recommended the removal of IEBC four.
The committee wants IEBC’s vice chair Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyangaya, Irene Masit and Francis Wanderi kicked out for gross misconduct, violation of the Constitution and incompetence.
Kenya Kwanza camp is expected to push for the adoption of the JLAC report to compel the President William Ruto to establish a tribunal to try the four commissioners.
President William Ruto had last week signalled his approval of the process when he told off the opposition over their spirited support of the four.
“The lords of impunity, who destroyed oversight institutions using the handshake fraud, should allow parliament to hold rogue officials who put the nation in danger by subverting the democratic will of the people to be held to account. New order is the rule of law, not wishes of big men,” the President tweeted.
It is expected that the Raila led Azimio La Umoja One Kenya side, which has spiritedly defended the ouster of the commissioners, will mount an aggressive campaign against the formation of a tribunal.
On Thursday morning, JLAC commission chairman George Murugara set the stage for a heated debate in the afternoon when he tabled the committee’s report.
“The committee recommends that the President suspends the four commissioners herein pending the tribunal verdict,” said Murugara.
Last week, Raila warned of a major push back by the opposition should parliament okay their removal from office.
Raila had described the parliamentary probe as a charade aimed at handing President Ruto an open cheque to pick his preferred individuals to succeed the four.
“"The injustice being inflicted on the four IEBC commissioners, if it proceeds as currently conceived, will mark the beginning of a massive push back against Ruto and those who think like him... We will openly and robustly lead that push back," Raila said.
In fact, Raila asked the opposition troops in parliament to stand up for what he termed as justice to rescue the four commissioners from the Kenya Kwanza slaughterhouse.
During the JLAC hearings, the four commissioners were represented by their lawyers who dismantled the petitions for their removal from office terming them political generalities.
Initially, the commissioners had questioned the committee’s jurisdiction to process the petitions but their claims were rubbished by JLAC.
Should parliament approve the report recommending their removal then Ruto could as early as Friday suspend the commissioners awaiting their trial.
The President will then constitute a tribunal that will draw its own calendar for the trial hearings in which the commissioners will have an opportunity to defend themselves.