Hours after being kicked out of the meeting in which he was expected to present the commission’s submissions on the proposed Elections laws, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati appeared with a few officials, others missing.
IEBC chairman told the Joint Parliamentary Committee that the missing commissioners had travelled to attend funerals of their kins on Thursday evening.
“There are two commissioners who are not here Mr Chairman,” Mr Chebukati started.
He added: “Commissioner Margaret Wanjala Mwachanya lost her father, she has travelled and Commissioner Dr Paul Kibiwott Kurgatlost his niece and is also travelled.”
Commissioner Margaret, a former Swahili teacher, is remembered for her sensational comment that the dead will not rise from their graves and vote in August 8 elections. She is involved in the day to day running of the Commission’s affairs.
On the other hand, Dr Kurgat, who is also the former Kenyan ambassador to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, is remembered for pleading with the National Assembly during his vetting to have CCTV cameras in all polling stations on voting day.
He also proposed a 10-year ban on aspirants and parties that cause chaos in elections to ensure that they do not participate in general elections.
The conspicuous absentee of all the IEBC commissioners at the crucial meeting prompted sitting MPs to send Mr Wafula Chebukati away, urging him to appear with all the commissioners.
“That document was given to the chairman and the legal team to purify. The insinuation that I am here representing myself is not proper. Every decision by IEBC is made by the plenary,” Mr Chebukati told the MPs, who adamantly demanded the whole IEBC team.
Insiders at IEBC said after the top officials agreed on the analysis, Mr Chebukati authored and signed off a letter that some members disagreed with.
Mr Chebukati told the committees that the commission had a plenary meeting on Wednesday when the paper was presented.
Meanwhile, it is therefore not clear whether the submissions to the MPs was unanimously agreed on owing to recent scuffles at the polls team.