Raila asks 'Cherera Four' IEBC commissioners to boycott Parliament summons

According to Mr Odinga, the current problems confronting the four; IEBC Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera, commissioners Irine Masit, Justus Nyangaya, and Francis Wanderi are part of the current administration's plan to influence the 2027 elections.

“This probe is politically motivated; it is a continuation of the witch-hunt mission that Ruto is on. We advise the commissioners to boycott it in the interest of constitutionalism and rule of law,” Odinga said.

He stated that the Ruto administration is eager to replace the four commissioners with those who will help them win the 2027 elections.

During the same speech, the former Prime Minister accused the two Houses of Parliament of participating in the alleged capture of Kenya's electoral body.

“We call on two houses of Parliament to stand firm and not to be part of what is happening...” he said on Thursday flanked by Martha Karua and Makau Mutua. 

“By summoning these commissioners, Parliament is usurping the role of a tribunal... they are trying to prejudice whatever tribunal could be formed. Parliament’s role must be limited to summoning the commissioners and deciding whether the issues raised warrant the formation of a tribunal.”

According to the former premier, no commissioner was found to have committed any electoral offences during the hearing of Azimio's poll petition.

Odinga claimed that only the Commission's chairman, Wafula Chebukati, was found to have acted unilaterally.

According to the opposition bigwig, the UDA administration has been on a path of vengeance and impunity since his camp conceded the election in August, targeting institutions and people who did not dance to their tune.

“Their target is institutions and individuals that the regime feels did not dance enough to their tunes during the campaigns,” he added. 

Mr Odinga also claimed that the Ruto administration has trained its guns on those it believes are unlikely to dance to its tune in 2027.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee was scheduled to hear the petitions filed against the four on Thursday.

The committee is expected to hear the petition for four days before retreating to make a decision on the quartet’s fate. 

The four petitioners want the commissioners removed from office for constitutional violations, as well as gross misconduct and incompetence.

This comes as IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and Commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye prepare to leave office in January 2023, when their single six-year term expires, raising the prospect of the commission being reconstituted.