Raila Has Always Fired IEBC Commissioners- Gladys Shollei

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei has accused former Prime Minister Raila Odinga of doublespeak in trying to prevent the four dissenting Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners from being kicked out of office.

The Azimio la Umoja leader took a new twist on Sunday, November 27 when he threatened to stage mass protests over the looming ouster of the quartet.

IEBC Vice chairperson Juliana Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang'aya are accused of gross violation of the Constitution and a breach of their oath of office, which makes their status, according to them, illegal to hold office.

They were prominent for denying the presidential election results on Monday, August 15 as announced by IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati.

"We are going to consult widely with the people of Kenya, beginning Wednesday in Nairobi. We will have a meeting with the people at Kamukunji Grounds to ask them if they accept that these commissioners should go home," Raila said.

"We will then do the same thing in Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Kakamega because an independent electoral commission is the referee and cannot be appointed by a player."

Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on Monday, November 28, Shollei however exposed Raila as an individual who has always spearheaded the ouster of commissioners from the electoral commission since his streak of defeats in the presidential elections from 2007.

According to her, Raila's influence has seen the firing of the late Samuel Kivuitu, who was at the time the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) National Returning Officer, following the controversial 2007 general elections and former IEBC chair, Ahmed Issack Hassan, after the 2013 general elections.

"I've seen the newspapers have quoted Raila Odinga saying that he will be speaking more in future but the first step is to block these people from sending the commissioners home, that is his view. It's very interesting because if there is anyone who has consistently and persistently removed commissioners from office is Raila Amollo Odinga.

"After the Kivuitu team left office, there was then the Ahmed Issack-led commission. Immediately he lost the elections, and they had demonstrations outside IEBC until Ahmed Issack and his team had to go. He did not use the process of a petition which is the process that is provided under the Constitution and supported by the Standing Orders of the National Assembly. He did not use that route, he rioted, teargassed and so on until the Ahmed Issack team left," she said.

Raila had promised that from Wednesday, November 30, they would hold protests over petitions seeking the removal of the four.

However, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned against using other Kenyan children to protest the petitions, daring him and Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, to ensure that their daughter and son lead the mass protests he is asking Kenyans to take part in.

"If they want the people to go to the street, they must lead by example. These people who want our children to go to the street have organised for their children to serve in EALA in Arusha.

"Let your daughter and son come from Arusha and physically lead the demonstrations and the rest of Kenya can follow,” Gachagua said at a church service on Sunday at CITAM church in Karen.

Raila's daughter Winnie Odinga and Kalonzo's son Kennedy were elected by Parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

Raila Odinga addressing the media on November 24, 2022 alongside Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua and Makau Mutua. /FACEBOOK.RAILA ODINGA