ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna has defended a move by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya allied leaders to defend four IEBC commissioners.
According to Sifuna, what they are doing is defending the Constitution of Kenya and not the electoral agency’s viceperson Juliana Cherera and comissioners—Justus Nyang’aya, Francis Wanderi, and Irine Masit.
“The reason why we are protesting is because in Article 3 of the Constitution, all of us are enjoined to respect, uphold and defend the constitution we are not defending the four individuals, we are defending the Constitution,” he said on Thursday.
Sifuna who spoke on Citizen TV claimed that the allegations against the commissioners by the Kenya Kwanza government are not clear.
He added that their right to prepare a defence was not respected and they had not been given details of the allegations against them.
Raila and his troops are opposed to the removal of the four commissioners who differed with IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati on his declaration that President William Ruto won the August election.
The commissioners snubbed hearings by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee citing a lack of partiality.
They further argued that the process “has predetermined outcomes”.
Regardless, the committee chaired by Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara retreated to write the report despite the objections raised by the lawyers for the four, who have since questioned the House team’s jurisdiction on the matter.
On November 25, President Ruto in a tweet said the opposition should stop defending the commissioners and let parliament hold them accountable.
He said they attempted to supress the will of Kenyans and the rule of law must prevail.
“The lords of impunity, who destroyed oversight institutions using the handshake fraud, should allow parliament to hold rogue officials who put the nation in danger by subverting the democratic will of the people to be held to account. New order is rule of law not wishes of big men.”
The four led by Cherera disowned the August 9 presidential election results that were announced by Wafula Chebukati.
