Former IEBC commissioner Irene Masit has fled the country over death threats. The Star newspaper has now brought to light a conflict of interest involving the former commissioner.
It has been reported that Masit fled the country under the cover of darkness after receiving death threats from unidentified sources. According to the publication, she revealed the details of these threats after refusing to resign, prompting President Ruto to initiate an investigation.
The Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) experienced a sizable divide leading up to the 2022 general elections in Kenya. An obvious dispute among the commissioners developed after the declaration of the presidential results, resulting in a significant division within the commission.
The IEBC, which was charged with regulating the electoral process, came under fire when some commissioners questioned the validity and objectivity of the reported presidential results. This debate caused a significant division inside the commission and brought to light underlying worries about the openness and fairness of the voting process.
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Concerning the accuracy of the vote count, probable irregularities, and claims of misbehaviour during the elections, the dissenting commissioners voiced their misgivings. These worries heightened the already tense political climate and fed public distrust.
Both the credibility of the election process and public confidence in the institution were significantly impacted by the division inside the IEBC. The commissioners' disagreement served as a reminder of the necessity for open investigations, accountability, and measures to remedy the identified voting system shortcomings.
This difficult situation led to increased calls for an independent audit and thorough scrutiny of the electoral process. To restore faith in the democratic process, civil society organizations, political parties, and concerned people pushed the government to address the concerns stated by the dissenting commissioners.
The IEBC's disagreement over the presidential election results served as a reminder of how crucial impartiality, transparency, and integrity in elections are. In order to guarantee free and fair elections, safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, and defend the democratic principles of the country, it stressed the necessity for robust institutional frameworks and mechanisms.
Today it has been revealed that Irene Masit, the former Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner, recently resigned following an investigation conducted by a commission appointed by President William Ruto. This commission recommended her removal from office, which ultimately led to her resignation.
According to The Star newspaper, Masit, who is currently living in exile in another nation, escaped in just her pajamas out of concern for her safety. Because of worries that anything bad would happen to her, this severe move was taken. It is important to note that Masit joined forces with three other commissioners to reject the election results declared by Wafula Chebukati, the IEBC Chairperson at the time.
To further set the scene, the IEBC commission had a sizable split prior to the general elections last year. Internal arguments and disagreements among the commissioners resulted from divisions among them regarding the validity of the election results. Following the investigation that was started by President Ruto, this division within the committee finally led to Irene Masit's resignation.
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