Tuesday, February 15, 2022 – Deputy President William Ruto’s camp is concerned that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is not ready to effectively handle the August 9, General Election.
This is even as rumours of a possible rigging have filled the air after Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege claimed that they might be forced to rig in ODM Leader Raila Odinga in August, the way they did for President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017; something that has not gone down well with Ruto and his camp.
Speaking during an interview early today, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot questioned the IEBC’s readiness to deliver a free and fair election in August.
He wondered why IEBC doesn’t have a substantive Chief Executive Officer a few months to the election.
“The secretariat, which is the main workhouse in terms of the election management process is not firmly fixed.
“Even now, 4 months to the General Election, IEBC doesn’t have a substantive CEO,” Cheruiyot said.
The outspoken lawmaker castigated the newly appointed commissioners, saying they should have seen the necessity to employ key staff members immediately after they were sworn in.
“It’s a failure on the part of Commissioners, as soon as they were sworn into the office, which was about two to three months ago, that should have been their first business,” Cheruiyot said.
Cheruiyot added that it will be difficult for a new CEO to efficiently manage the secretariat given the limited time remaining ahead of the August election.
The sentiments by DP Ruto’s close ally come after the National Assembly Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs raised an alarm about four dockets within IEBC that are led by acting officers.
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