Kesses Member of Parliament CPA Julius Ruto has accused the opposition of attempting to derail the ongoing recruitment process of new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
Some senior opposition leaders, including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and the Democratic Action Party of Kenya leader Eugine Wamalwa, recently claimed a plot by the government to hijack the process.
However, according to CPA Ruto, the latest accusations are only meant to further delay the process.
The Kenya Kwanza-allied legislator said Kalonzo and his team were fully involved in the constitution of the IEBC selection panel; hence, they have no justification to claim attempts by the government side to influence the process.
“I’m left surprised and astonished as to how the so-called senior politicians are double speaking about this IEBC issue,” the MP said.
“Today, Kalonzo claims he doesn’t believe in the IEBC selection panel, yet he went to court to ensure his interests are taken care of about two years ago,” he added.
Is IEBC selection panel compromised?
While casting doubts on the ongoing process of picking the new IEBC chairperson and commissioners, Kalonzo and his allies claimed that some individuals should never have been shortlisted for the job.
They singled out the current Kenya Power board chairperson Joy-Brenda Midivo, whom they claim is a known President Ruto ally.
However, according to the Kesses MP, any Kenyan has a right to apply for any job, irrespective of their political affiliation.
“Every Kenyan, as long as they qualify, are entitled to apply for these positions. Singling out Joy for working with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is unfair. She has a right to apply for any job,” he added.
Brenda-Joy was a member of the UDA National Elections Board.
She was shortlisted for the IEBC chairperson position alongside several other prominent individuals, including former Judiciary Chief Registrar Ann Amadi and former Constitutional Implementation Commission (CIC) chairperson Charles Nyachae.
