Police tossed teargas to disperse Azimio La Umoja legislators who were protesting the interdiction of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ruth Kulundu.
Moreover, police lobbed teargas at the protestors as they were going to the IEBC headquarters at the Anniversary Towers to present their petition.
“We have come here deliberately, constitutionally, very peacefully to come and engage with IEBC which as you know is an independent but public commission paid by public taxes. You have seen that as we came, police lobbed teargas on us severally without provocation just because we are conducting our constitutional mandate,” Ruaraka Member of Parliament TJ Kajwang told journalists.
“Then we come to this gate, we have found that they have locked it with chains,” Kajwang added.
However, the Anniversary towers gates were closed and locked. As such, the legislators were asked to disperse their supporters if they want their petition to be accepted.
Nonetheless, the legislators maintained that Kulundu was interdicted for being a whistleblower in the August 9 elections.
Also Read: Azimio MPs Protest IEBC Deputy CEO’s Interdiction
“We are here because as members of parliament, we are mandated to address any issues of concern affecting Kenyans, and one such issue is the one affecting madam Ruth Kulundu who has been interdicted, not by IEBC but by Chebukati and Marjan,” Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi stated.
Furthermore, they mentioned that her interdiction was a witch-hunt choreographed by chairman Wafula Chebukati’s wing in the commission for having assisted the four dissenting IEBC commissioners.
Additionally, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan accused Kulundu of misconduct for arranging an illegal commission plenary meeting without approval.
In the meeting, the four commissioners who disputed the 2022 presidential election results picked law firms that would represent the commission in the consolidated presidential election petition.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Director of Communications Phillip Etale said the lawmakers will converge at Koinange Street where they will start the walk to the agency’s Anniversary offices.