PRESIDENT RUTO ON RAILA’S MOVE TO HOLD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FORUMS
President Ruto weighed in on Azimio La Umoja One coalition party leader Raila Odinga's plan for holding public rallies that would involve Kenyans on the ongoing probe of the four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners.
The four, which include Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi, and Justus Nyang’aya are being grilled after petitions were filed challenging their suitability to hold office, following their decision to reject the August 9 Election presidential results.
Addressing the media in Kisumu on Sunday, Azimio la Umoja party leader announced a plan to hold rallies to solicit support for the four besieged IEBC commissioners starting Wednesday at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi.
President Ruto, who was speaking on Monday at Tatu City in Ruiru, Kiambu County responded to the former Prime Minister on Monday by welcoming criticism from the opposition. He also urged Raila's camp to ensure they maintain peace during their activities.
"I want to tell our brothers in the opposition to work with us and criticize whatever they want to criticize, but let's keep the country peaceful. We want to do our job and we want the opposition to do their job, but they should do it peacefully," he said.
The Head of State ridiculed the opposition for their method of airing grievances against the government, saying he does not think organizing demonstrations and getting Kenyans to do the things that they want them to do is part of holding any government to account.
"I want to encourage them not to hold Kenyans against one another. Street demonstrations and street fights should not be part of the script of any responsible opposition unless they want to be a dictatorial opposition," he added.
The National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee began hearing the petitions filed against the four commissioners last Thursday.
With the hearings set to continue today, the Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera failed to appear before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) on Monday and was instead represented by her lawyer Apollo Mboya.
The petitioners want the commissioners removed from office for constitutional violations, as well as gross misconduct and incompetence.
BY STACY EDITH.
Tags: Raila Amollo Odinga President William Ruto Iebc Commisioners Editor's Pick
