Division in IEBC as CEO Ezra Chiloba is Sent on Compulsory Leave

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati has reportedly sent the agency’s Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba on a compulsory leave.

The Star reports that Chebukati's decision to suspend the embattled CEO was also backed by two other Commissioners over what they termed as “procurement issues”.

Chebukati allegedly sent Chiloba home to pave way for investigations into several matters in the electoral commission including procurement and infiltration of the agency's servers during last year's elections.

A source within the electoral agency said the decision to suspend Chiloba was reached last week. Chiloba is yet to comment on the latest development.

“It was taken to his office but the secretary refused to receive it and insisted that the bearer should serve her boss himself,” a senior IEBC official told the Star.

Commissioner in charge of Human resource at IEBC Boya Molu is scheduled to serve the suspension letter to Chiloba on Monday. Chebukati's spokesman Wilfred Lusi said that the chairman travelled to Nigeria on Saturday and is set to return on Friday.

The Star said that Commissioners, Abdi Guliye and Molu endorsed the decision, but other Commissioners led by vice Chair, Consolata Maina and Paul Kurgat are opposed to it.

Ms Maina is said to have walked out of the meeting to decide on Chiloba's fate, stating she wouldn't be party to the decision.

Bad blood between Chiloba and Chebukati was exposed last year when two leaked memos from the Chairman to the CEO questioned a raft of decisions taken by Chiloba in the run and during last year's elections.

In one of the, Chebukati demanded for answers to 12 issues from Chiloba as to why certain problems were encountered in the August 8 polls, leading to its annulment.

Spirited efforts by the Opposition to oust Chiloba from office after the nullification of August 8th,2017 presidential polls failed as he declined to resign, insisting he was being used a sacrificial lamb for crimes he  didn't commit.

“These leakages are certainly not done in the interest of the commission or the country. The repeated unauthorised disclosures clearly undermine the authority and standing of the commission,” Chebukati said after the retreat held in Naivasha to unite the divided electoral commission.