Five more employees of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have been sent home as the fallout between Chairman Wafula Chebukati and CEO Ezra Chiloba takes a new twist.

The five were reportedly sent home on Thursday in unclear circumstances with a verbal notice unlike in the past when such communications were issued in writing.

Their troubles began on Monday when acting CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan summoned them to his office and advised them to consider taking leave.

However, this was not the case as by Thursday, the officers were at their desks in the office that was once occupied by Chiloba, prompting Marjan to ask them to leave office at around 3PM and locking the office.

However, IEBC Communications Officer Andrew Limo held that the officers were merely asked “to help with duties in other offices until and when Mr Chiloba returns".

Limo maintained that Marjan "did not lock offices or chase anyone. It's simple institutional load balancing exercise."

This week, the commission sought to repossess 2 vehicles used by the suspended CEO. It went ahead and disabled fuel cards assigned to the embattled CEO.

The fallout and the decision to suspend Chiloba for three months has brought to the fore tense relations at the commission with 3 other commissioners resigning.

Chiloba has since moved to court to challenge the decision.