Before the January election, IEBC CEO Ezra Chinoba was the Electoral Body’s Vanguard taking the lead in the Commission’s election preparation as the unaccustomed Commissioners settled into their new roles, that wasn’t until the 8th August. “I’m really going to disappoint a lot of beautiful young women out there because too bad, our CEO has been taken, he is happily married.”
And the Supreme Court ruling hint of a rocky marriage between the Commission and the Secretariat emerged. The CEO took the biggest share of blames for the Commission’s mistakes that the Supreme Court pointed out. He had however, always maintained the Commission to deliver the best election ever. “It was a low moment to get to that particular level given the efforts and investments that we had made. And I keep on saying that this had been one of the best-managed election around the region in the history of our country, how come the Supreme Court nullified that election.” And he cannot wait to exhale with the rate of a mismanaged election and the claimer for his resignation the Kwishiendo was the Chairman’s calls for him as others advisedly mentioned to step aside for the Commission to deliver a credible election in 6 days.
Chiloba hasn’t yet addressed the Chairman’s most recent concerns but he says he will in the coming days. He for now covertly takes leave from the Commission for 3 weeks and will be away during the repeat Presidential Election. He says he believes the Commission has done all it can to fill the gaps identified by the Supreme Court. The decision is said to have been discussed with the Chairman with whom he is said to have a gracious relationship with the public but cold in private.
The features between them are said to have deepened after Chairman Wafula Chebukati after the Supreme Court ruling tabled before preliminary a proposal to remove the CEO and four others. They servantly resistance from four of the Commissioners denied him the majority to implement the changes forcing him to sideline the embattled staff and bring on board a lateral team of County Coordinators to replace them the first elections special projects team. He was fated to a peripheral role the second time when the CEO announced a new team to lead the October 26th Election preparations. “We are an institution, the Commission has got its role and the Secretariat has got its role. And every other time, the Commission checks on what the Secretariat does. So I will say it’s a cordial relationship say for the usual occurrences of normal organizational issues.” “How do you categorize the relation between you and Chairman Wafula Chebukati?” “Very cordial, honest, darrif with each other and that’s how we deal obviously.” “Are there still some tensions?” “Well after Naivasha I think we live much better.”
Chiloba will now have to spend the next couple of weeks defending the election that he still says he stands by and that he came out of with an equal measure of love and hate. According to the IEBC Act, the CEO can be removed from office on grounds of gross misconduct or incompetence. It has to be informed in writing the reasons for his removal and given a chance to defend himself either in person or through a lawyer.
