- The coalition wants Wiper's Koki Muli in the panel.
- They urged Azimio principal, Kalonzo Musyoka, to ensure the plan is shelved.
Image: MUSEMBI NZENGU
Some civil society group members in Kitui have condemned the move to replace National Liberal Party leader, Augustus Muli, as the Azimio representative in the IEBC selection panel.
The coalition wants Wiper's Koki Muli in the panel.
They urged Azimio principal, Kalonzo Musyoka, to ensure the plan is shelved.
During a press conference in Kitui town on Friday, the group led by Musili Kauta of the Centre for Progressive Leadership and Musembi Kitavi of Kitui Peace Economic Front, opposed attempts to lock Muli out of IEBC panel.
They insisted that the decision of the Parliamentary Parties Liason Committee to pick Muli as Azimio representative must be respected. They said any action to the contrary would be tantamount to putting democracy on trial.
“We are calling on all Kenyans to make noise so that Muli can assume his duties in the IEBC panel as a corrupt and inept selection committee translates to selection of corrupt IEBC commissioners,” Kitavi said.
He said such a scenario would not guarantee Kenya a credible 2027 general election.
“We want to condemn and oppose the action that caused a row in the Azimio selection of representatives in the IEBC selection panel,” Kauta said.
He said Muli got lots of votes to enable him to sit in the IEBC selection panel but Wiper party and Azimio operatives hatched a plan to remove his name.
Image: MUSEMBI NZENGU
Muli was last week picked by the Political Parties Liaison Committee as the Azimio representative in the IEBC selection panel.
During the election, Muli floored Kiko of the Wiper party by garnering 16 votes against Koki’s seven votes. But Azimio has disapproved of the election outcome.
Azimio secretary general Junet Mohamed has since written to the Parliamentary Service Commission denouncing the election of Muli and wants him replaced with Koki.
Junet argues that the list of political parties’ representatives to the IEBC selection panel falls short of the requirement for gender balance as provided for in the IEBC Amendment Act 2024.
The PPLC nominated Evans Misati – its current chairperson, Nicodemus Bore for majority party and Muli for the majority party—all men. Junet asked PSC to replace Muli with Koki for gender balance.
Already Muli has sought court redress and a tribunal has temporarily barred Parliamentary Service Commission from forwarding names of persons nominated to the IEBC selection panel.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal vice chairperson, Wilfred Mutubwa, certified the application by the leader of National Liberal Party as urgent.
“In the interim, prayers number two and three of the application dated July 31, are hereby granted pending inter-parties hearing of the application,” the orders read.
Aggrieved by the attempt to delist him, Muli sued Azimio la Umoja, political parties’ liaison committee and the secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission.