Deputy President William Ruto has asked Opposition leaders to stop interfering with the affairs of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Speaking on Saturday at Kimalel grounds in Baringo during the 2016 goats’ auction event, Ruto said that IEBC is an independent body which cannot be commanded by individuals who have now 'sensed defeat' ahead of the 2017 general elections.
He said that IEBC was protected by the Constitution and asked the Opposition to stop threatening the commission.
“Our competitors should know that IEBC does not report to Jubilee and neither is it answerable to the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (Cord),” Ruto said.
“IEBC is an independent body that is charged with the management of elections and we should give it the opportunity to do its work without interference,” he added.
With him were Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Asman Kamama (Tiaty) and Grace Kiptui (Baringo), Baringo governor Benjamin Cheboi as well as Nakuru County Assembly Speaker Susan Kihika.
He added that the Opposition leaders must decide to either be staff and managers of IEBC or prepare to wrestle with Jubilee in 2017.
“We ask our friends in the Opposition to make a decision on whether they should work for the IEBC as staff or managers or alternatively be prepared to compete with us come 2017 by leaving the electoral body to discharge its mandate,” Ruto said.
He added: “As politicians, we should leave IEBC issues to be run by professionals because we are neither workers nor managers of the electoral body. Our work is to prepare our manifestos and look for votes from the people.”
Earlier, opposition leaders Raila Odinga (ODM) and Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) had accused the Jubilee government of trying to use the outgoing IEBC commissioners to rig the 2017 general elections.