Jubilee Party leaders President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto. [Photo/kenyabwala.com]
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati has dismissed Jubilee Party’s request to have some members of the fresh elections project team removed.
In a letter to the electoral body Wednesday evening, Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju claimed that some of the members appointed by Chebukati to oversee the fresh polls were partisan.
“After publication of the names of your election project team, we have received credible information that in the list are people known to be partisan. They include the following staff members: Marijan Hussein Marijan, Salome Oyugi, Chrispine Owiye, Joseph Ayatta, Joyce Ekuam, Tabitha Mutemi, Limus Onyango, Caroline Manyange.
“We hereby register our strong objection to the deployment of the above to be in a position to run the process,” Tuju said.
However, in a response, Chebukati has told Tuju that IEBC is an independent body and will not take directions from anybody.
“Please note that the Commission is an independent constitutional body which as per Article 249 of the Constitution shall not be subject to direction or control by any person or authority,” Chebukati told Tuju.
He added,”It is therefore unacceptable for you to provide a list of staff that you direct us not to consider for the project team.”