Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati in a press conference at Bomas of Kenya on August 11, 2017. [PHOTO/nation.co.ke]
Top Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials have been battling behind the scenes to have a say in the selection of lawyers to represent them in the presidential petition lodged by the National Super Alliance (NASA).
The petition filed on August 18 by Raila Odinga and his running-mate Kalonzo Musyoka listed both the IEBC and its chairperson Wafula Chebukati (the presidential returning officer) as first and second respondents respectively.
According to the Sunday Nation, the directorate of legal and public affairs was pushing for the familiar group of advocates whereas the commissioners want a fresh team of lawyers who did not take part in a similar petition in 2013,
The 2013 lawyers used by the commission included Nani Mungai, Aurelio Rebelo, Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Lucy Kambuni, Paul Nyamodi, and Kamau Karori.
Following the 14-day court battle, the legal team sent IEBC a Sh380 million legal bill for the services, something that aroused a public outcry and queries by Auditor General Edward Ouko.
Though the directorate of legal and public affairs is pushing for exclusive power to appoint the said lawyers, the commissioners are reportedly uneasy with this as they also want to decide who represents the poll commission and Chebukati.