The electoral agency has dismissed claims it was sabotaging the verification of signatures to back the proposed Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati termed the sentiments by Suna East MP Junet Mohamed – a strong Raila ally – as completely false and unfortunate.
He told the Star there was no way the commission could frustrate or sabotage a process that falls within its mandate.
“Signature verification is part of the IEBC's mandate as articulated in Article 257 of the Constitution and therefore the commission cannot sabotage it.”
“Additionally, the commission has deployed its best human resources to manage the process,” Chebukati said.
At least 400 clerks are engaged in the verification.
He said two BBI co-chairs attested to the commission’s capacity during their visit to the Bomas of Kenya on January 8 to assess progress.
Junet, who is BBI secretariat co-chairman, said they suspected the delay was deliberate.
The lawmaker termed it an attempt by the commission to scuttle the process, saying the grumbles by the commission over cash were part of the alleged scheme.
Following the turn of events, Junet cautioned the IEBC not to open doors to a fresh round of protests to push for the removal of the commissioners.
“We see this as a form of sabotaging the BBI. They should know that we are not tired. We know how we removed the Issack Hassan team. If they want us to take that route, they better tell us.”
He said they will stage protests against the commission if the signatures are not ready by January 30.
The IEBC acknowledged having experienced intermittent internet challenges on January 12 at Bomas, which was among issues cited by Junet as pointing to the inordinate delay.
The IEBC is committed to ensuring that the process is completed within the shortest time possible
Chebukati said the internet glitch was occasioned by a system upgrade of bandwidth and power surges.
“However, the issue was brought to the attention of the Bomas of Kenya management and the same addressed to our satisfaction,” he said.
Chebukati spoke following lamentations by BBI proponents over the slow process of the verification of the 4.2 million signatures.
One million signatures are required to back the BBI bill before it is subjected to a vote by the 47 county assemblies.
The next phase of the BBI depends on the outcome of the verification process.
BBI promoters say they have no luxury of time owing to the tight timelines accosting the constitutional change campaign.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga’s camps are anticipating that the referendum be held by June.
Chebukati assured the stakeholders and the general public that the IEBC was “committed to ensuring that the process is completed within the shortest time possible.”
There was a slow start to the verification process after the IEBC ran into cash constraints which delayed the start of the verification process.
The commission earlier said they would be slower after the Treasury allocated Sh97.3 million for the listing.
In its January 8 update on the verification, the IEBC said 544,624 records had been captured – being above 50 per cent of the required one million signatures.
“The commission would like to assure all stakeholders and the general public that it is committed to ensuring the verification is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner,” IEBC said then.