Confusion as IEBC cancels crucial meeting at last minute

dennis kibet

September 20, 2017 11:50 AM

IEBC forced to call off the important meeting at the last hour following...

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Wednesday called off a crucial meeting between the electoral agency and the Jubilee, NASA factions.

The meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon, was meant to iron out any differences between the three groups and unlock the stalemate surrounding the fresh presidential elections slated for October 17.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati who was to chair the consultative talks, said that the commission would first wait for the Supreme Court's full judgment on the August 8 presidential election before re-scheduling another meeting.

The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice David Maraga on Wednesday read their full judgements on why they nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in August.

The Jubilee Party on Tuesday asked IEBC to postpone the planned meeting until the Supreme Court delivers its full judgement on the poll petition.

In a letter, the party's Secretary General Raphael Tuju asked Chebukati to host the meeting after the party digests the issues expected from the court's judgement.

"We will need to go through the ruling so that our contribution can be more constructive as the issues that emerge from it might have a bearing on the agenda of the meeting. It is our considered opinion that issues arising therefrom may have a bearing on the agenda of the said meeting," Tuju said.

Another planned joint meeting between the IEBC, NASA and the Jubilee Party aborted last week after representatives from both sides arrived at different times.

NASA leaders, led by their leader Raila Odinga, had waited for 50 minutes and later walked out of the meeting, protesting Jubilee’s lateness and the agenda proposed by the commission.

dennis kibet