Nairobi — President William Ruto has terminated the appointment of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Irene Masit after the tribunal set up to investigate her conduct found her guilty of gross misconduct.
President Ruto announced Masit’s removal through a gazette notice dated March 1, 2023, after the tribunal also recommended that she be removed for contravening the Constitution during the August 2022 elections.
“I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander-in- chief of the Kenya Defense Forces in exercise of authority vested by Article 251(6) of the Constitution do hereby direct that; the appointment and tenure of Irene Cherop Masit as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission be and is terminated with immediate effect,” reads the notice.
The Justice Aggrey Muchelule led Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) tribunal noted that the evidence tabled before the member team had satisfactorily proven the two allegations against her but failed to convince the tribunal on the aspect of incompetence.
Four petitioners had sought the removal of four IEBC commissioners Masit, Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyagaya owing to their conduct during the period leading up to the declaration of Presidential Election Results in the 2022 General Elections.
Only Masit was the only poll commissioner out of the Cherera four who faced the tribunal as the trio opted to resign ahead of the tribunal sitting.
Masit was sworn in on 2nd September,2021 to serve for a period of six years thereby filling the vacancies created following the previous resignations.
Evidence tabled before the tribunal alluded to submissions presented by the four petitioners, Former IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati and Commissioners Abdi Guliye.
Guliye and Molu, both of whom retired alongside Chebukati on January 17, backed the former Chairperson’s account suggesting a plot to manipulate election results.
They said a faction led by then IEBC Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera suggested moderation of election results to deny President William Ruto a win and declare Azimio’s Raila Odinga the winner.
Guliye said the proposal was presented by a team led by Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Francis Ogolla.
