Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Francis Wanderi has resigned after President William Ruto suspended him and the other three commissioners.
Wanderi is the third commissioner to leave IEBC days after Justus Nyang’aya and IEBC Vice Chair Juliana Cherera resigned on December 2 and 5 respectively.
Through a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, December 7 Wanderi noted that his decision to resign has been prompted by undue criticism which he claims has tainted his integrity to serve in the commission.
“This decision, while extremely difficult and agonizing for myself and my family, has been necessitated by undue and unwarranted public lynching based on falsified information, fainting my reputation and integrity,” read part of the statement.
The electoral body commissioner further dismissed any interpretation of his departure as an admission of guilt to the allegations leveled against him.
Moreover, he warned that unless IEBC’s governance structures are streamlined, the same wrangling within the commission will reoccur.
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“As I tender this resignation, I do so not because there comes a time when the country is more important than any individual, including my own aspirations to see our electoral processes mirror those of democracies more advanced than us,” he wrote.
“Unless the governance issues within the commission are addressed my resignation and that of my colleagues will not help the country achieve its democratic and electoral reform aspirations.” The statement further read.
In addition, Wanderi thanked President Ruto for the opportunity to “serve the country diligently.”
Meanwhile, the commissioners are awaiting their fate from a tribunal probing their conduct for alleged gross violation of the Constitution.
President Ruto appointed High Court Judge Aggrey Muchelule as chair of the tribunal, followed by Carolyne Kamende Daudi, Linda Gakii Kiome, Mathew Njaramba Nyabena, and Col. (Rtd.) Saeed Khamis Saeed.
Furthermore, the joint secretaries for the tribunal will be Kibet Kirui Emmanuel and Irene Tunta Nchoe with Peter Munge Murage being the lead Counsel assisted by Zamzam Abdi Abib.
