IEBC Fires Ezra Chiloba While Still on Suspension

The Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has finally sacked the embattled CEO, Ezra Chiloba who has been on suspension since April.

The sacking of Chiloba is now set to renew another court battle between him and the commission that has been going on ever since he was send on compulsory leave.

The CEO has been at loggerheads with the commission after been widely mentioned in the fraudulent activities at the commission that led to the controversial 2017 general elections.

Chiloba has also been indicted by the commission’s internal audit report that has revealed loss of millions of taxpayer’s money through flawed procurement of goods and services for the 2017 elections.

According to a report from the internal audits at the commission, the auditors examined 31 contracts worth 6.2 billion shillings and out of it found that 4.6 billion shillings might have been misappropriated through 10 contracts that had no value to the taxpayer.

The commission had invited Chiloba to appear before a disciplinary committee on Monday to explain some of the decisions he made leading to the possible loss of public funds but he failed to show up.

IEBC has been operating with three commissioners after other three, Connie Maina, Paul Kuragat and Margaret Mwachanya resigned in April protesting the ‘manner in which the chair was running the affairs of the commission.’

After the court ruled that their resignation did not follow the law, two of them, Connie Maina and Margaret Mwachanya tried to pull a comeback but the IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati changed the locks to their offices.

IEBC through its chair has insisted that it is fit to conduct the 2022 general elections despite calls to have it disbanded and new commissioners appointed. The commission is planning to conduct a census as well as a review of the boundaries in which at least 21 constituencies might be merged with others.