IEBC exit act of patriotism, not admission of culpability

The push for the exit of poll commissioners started soon after the final results of the 2013 presidential election were released.

CORD flag bearer Raila Odinga, who had lost two previous elections, rejected the tally and accused the commission of having ‘rigged him out’.

In keeping with the Constitution, CORD leaders moved to the Supreme Court, where they filed a petition challenging the UhuRuto win. The case was however dismissed on grounds that it was largely built on unproven allegations.

In his reaction, ODM leader Raila Odinga was quoted as saying there were many ways of skinning a cat. CORD opted to push for the IEBC exit through political means.

 CORD took the battle a notch higher when it brought to light two more allegations. Raila and his lieutenants accused the commissioners of having eaten “Chicken” and grossly interfered with procurement of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVID).

The CEO Ezra Chiloba was not to be spared. Though he had not joined the commission when the contract was awarded, he was put on the spot for approving payment of Sh258 million to Face Technologies.

The acquisition of the BVR kits was done through a government-to-government arrangement, meaning that then President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, who was the Prime Minister, were directly involved. In regard to EVID, CORD is yet to produce any tangible evidence that a section of commissioners sat in the tendering committee and illegally influenced the award of tenders and contracts.

The campaign to kick out poll commissioners gained momentum early this year when CORD launched weekly anti-IEBC protests.

In some parts of the country, the protests turned violent and deadly, leading to loss of three lives and destruction of property.

The Jubilee government, religious leaders and foreign envoys denounced the demonstrations and asked CORD to follow the law in seeking the removal of the commissioners.

The Opposition agreed to call off the protests and give dialogue a chance, a move that resulted in the formation of a 14-member joint Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC).

When the commissioners appeared before the committee, one thing was very clear. They faulted the committee and argued that it did not have the legal power to grill them.

Reports indicated the committee was cornered because it did not have tangible evidence against them. But a day later, the commissioners softened their stance and agreed to resign on condition that the committee’s final report would recommend they be paid all their dues and adopt no-fault verdict on their part.

Hassan reiterated they left because of politics and a negotiated political settlement was the only way out of the impasse.

For me, the commissioners acted in good faith and best interest of the country. They knew the minds of Kenyans have been politicised and their continued stay would polarise the country further. This was indeed an act of patriotism, which showed they value peace and the unity of our beloved country.