NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1 – President William Ruto has officially terminated the contract of Commissioner Irene Masit of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
This decision was made after receiving a report from the Aggrey Muchelule-led tribunal, which recommended her removal for gross misconduct and violation of the Kenyan Constitution.
Masit had been one of four commissioners who publicly denounced the August 9, 2022, presidential results announced by former IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati and the tribunal found that Masit had endorsed the skewing of the results in favour of President William Ruto’s main opponent, Raila Odinga.
The tribunal’s report, which is binding, was sent to President Ruto for action and he had 30 days to act upon receiving it.
Masit, if aggrieved by the tribunal’s decision, can file an appeal at the High Court.
She was sworn into office on September 2, 2021, alongside Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi to replace commissioners who had exited the electoral body.
Cherera, Nyang’aya and Wanderi resigned from the commission, citing unfair targeting by President William Ruto. They were to serve a non-renewable six-year term.
With Masit’s termination, the IEBC is now left with only two commissioners, leaving it short of the required quorum of five commissioners.
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