Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has demanded the exit of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Hussein Marjan.
Speaking on Saturday, January 10, in Machakos County, Kalonzo alleged that Marjan hurriedly renewed the contract of Smartmatic, a company that was used to supply KIEMS kits for the 2022 general election.
The former Vice President claimed that by the time IEBC was reconstituted, the agreement between IEBC and Smartmatic had already been signed.
“The CEO of IEBC called Marjan. When there was no commission in place, he moved very fast and renewed Smartmatic’s contract.
“When the new commissioners came in, they found that he had already renewed those contracts. It was an illegal act because he was not supposed to do it,” said Kalonzo.
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The Wiper leader went on to propose that Marjan be paid by IEBC and that he leave office before the 2027 general election.
Kalonzo alleged that next year’s general election won’t be free and fair if Marjan is still the CEO of IEBC.
“We are saying that Marjan cannot oversee the next election as CEO, because by next year, he will only have one year left.
“The best thing is for this commission to give him whatever amount and let him leave, since he is the problem. We cannot have free and fair elections with Marjan at the IEBC,” Kalonzo added.
The Wiper leader’s allegations come months after President William Ruto reconstituted IEBC.
The Head of State, in a gazette notice on Thursday, July 10, appointed Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new chairperson of IEBC for a term of 6 years.
President Ruto also appointed Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Arafhat Abdallah as new IEBC commissioners.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250 (2) as read with section 5 (2) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act and Paragraph 4 of the First Schedule to the Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces appoint Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, Fahima Arafhat Abdallah, to be members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, for a period of six (6) years," the notice read.
