Azimio supporters and its leaders have protested the use of teargas canisters by the police in an effort to disperse crowd protests outside the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices.
Led by Ruaraka Legislator, TJ Kajwang, and former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, Azimio supporters protested at the IEBC headquarters demanding the reinstating of the IEBC deputy CEO Ruth Kulundu.
This follows a probable interdiction of the deputy by the IEBC Chairman, Wafula Chebukati, following alleged assistance she gave to the four dissenting commissioners.
According to the lawmakers, Ruth Kulundu played the role of a whistleblower during the August 9 polls.
While based on the run-up announcements done by IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein, he accused Kulundu of misconduct and having arranged an illegal plenary commission for members without approval.
Nevertheless, Azimio leaders had stated that they needed Ruth Kulundu reinstated to her position, pointing out the electoral body’s offences of victimizing officials deemed friendly to the party.
Irked Kajwang decried the efforts by the police to stop their protest by lobbying teargas at them despite maintaining a peaceful demonstration, calling the picketing a constitutional right that should be demonstrated.
The leaders sang outside the offices while awaiting an audience with the electoral commission on the matter they had submitted earlier on.
“We arrived here very peacefully to come and engage with IEBC which as you know is an independent but public commission paid by public taxes. You have seen that as we came, police lobbed teargas on us without provocation just because we are conducting our constitutional mandate,” Kajwang said.
Kajwang wanted clarification on the exact reason why the police felt they had to lob teargas canisters at them considering the peace upheld.
In response, the Azimio leaders were advised to disperse the crowds before they are given an audience by the IEBC.
