As the debate on the fate of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) rages, Kumekucha has obtained copy of the actual resignation letter in which four electoral commissioners submitted their voluntary resignation to the President during the height of opposition led public protests that saw numerous civilians shot dead and many others injured by Kenya Police.
This is the first time the resignation letter is being made public showing that opposition pressure was bearing fruit and it was a matter of time before the entire commission, enjoying constitutional security of tenure, collapsed.
Although mainstream media have reported on these resignations as may have happened, the letter in our possession clearly indicates four commissioners at pains to resign and whose abrupt resignation has taken top echelons of government by surprise.
The resignation letter also reveal that commissioners Yusuf Nzibo, Albert Bwire, Kule Galma Godana and Abdullahi Sharawe had written to President Uhuru Kenyatta in June declaring their intention to voluntarily quit. Among other reasons, the four admit they want to avoid being dragged through the process initiated by Parliament to remove them from office.
It is believed Jubilee are actively lobbying the Commissioners to remain, at least past the 2017 elections. Legal experts indicate the resignation renders the commission unconstitutional and handicapped to discharge it’s mandate if the resignation go on record.
With this damning exposure, questions are bound to be raised as to the motive of President Uhuru’s failure to respond to the resignations which he has the option of accepting or rejecting. Even more significantly, if the Commissioners remain in office and declare winners in any election after this resignation, losers can petition courts to nullify respective election results including the presidential election.
The conspiracy of a month of silence points to a sinister motive that puts serious doubt on the ability of the IEBC as currently constituted, and with four commissioners not committed to work, to effectively manage the 2017 general elections in a free, fair and accountable manner.
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