National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has stood firm that no amount of street protests will lead to the removal of the IEBC commissioners.He said that the government would not be arm twisted by the opposition into removing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
Justin Muturi said removal of the commissioners without following the right procedure was similar to overthrowing the Constitution that Cord leader Raila Odinga fought for.The Speaker said the installation of the commissioners as spelt out in the IEBC Act was bestowed on a committee appointed by the Former President Mwai Kibaki,Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Anti-corruption Advisory Board, the Judicial Service Commission and other professionals.
He said that since the current Constitution has no office of premier and anti-corruption advisory board,ejecting the current IEBC commissioners would cause a constitutional coup.He said the removal of IEBC officials could spark off demands for replacement of other constitutional office holders.Justin Muturi said that in the previous constitution the President had powers to appoint and remove the commissioners but in the new constitution he does not have the right.
He said the country should review what the current commissioners have done and where they erred for correction and if need be they can voluntarily retire.Justin Muturi also confirmed that he held a meeting with National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), who had earlier called for the removal of the IEBC commissioners and explained to them that the process is possible only through constitutional means.