Irene Masit, the embattled commissioner of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was dealt a big blow on Monday, February 28 after a tribunal appointed by President William Ruto recommended her sacking from office.
The tribunal chaired by Court of Appeal Judge Aggrey Muchelule said Commissioner Masit who was suspended from office should be fired because of gross misconduct stating that her decision to agree with the proposal by two delegations which sought to have IEBC moderate the election results on August 15, 2022, in favor of Raila Odinga was inappropriate.
“…this Tribunal recommends … that Commissioner Irene Cherop Masit be removed from office as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” the tribunal said.
Also Read: President Ruto Rejects Raila’s Demand for the Opening of IEBC Servers
According to the Muchelule led group, Masit who is among four other commissioners suspended from IEBC was promised a reward if they were to force a re-run of the August 8 General Election.
The tribunal noted that two delegations comprising members of the National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) led by Kennedy Ogeto (then Solicitor General), Hillary Mutyambai (then Inspector General of Police), and Lieutenant General Francis Omondi Ogolla (Vice Chief of Defense Forces) and another comprising of “Elders” led former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju visited all the commissioners and asked them to moderate the results or in the alternative force a run-off.
“Secondly, the actions by the commissioners to proceed to Serena (hotel) to issue the presser to disown the result that she had participated in tallying and verifying were intended to undermine and erode public trust in the commission and to the result. In our considered view, these actions amounted to gross misconduct,” the tribunal said
The three other commissioners (Juliana Cherera (former vice chairperson), Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang’aya) chose to resign than face the tribunal.
The tribunal further stated that Masit breached the leadership and Integrity Act by failing to conduct free and fair elections devoid of corruption, intimidation, or corruption.
“The actions by Commissioner Irene Masit clearly show that she was amenable to improper influence and that she could not be trusted to be an impartial and neutral arbiter. Once again, she was guilty of gross misconduct,” the tribunal ruled.
