National Liberal Party Chairman Augustus Kyalo Muli, has raised concern over his illegal removal as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel.
Muli who was unexpectedly replaced by Wiper candidate Rachel Koki Monday night, claims that he won the election fairly and Azimio has no business interfering.
According to Muli, all political parties participated in a rigorous selection process as per the IEBC Amendment Act 224, which allocated three slots to the coalition within the IEBC selection plan.
The election to select representatives for the IEBC selection panel took place on Friday in Machakos, organized by the Democratic Party of Kenya (DPK) and the Independent Political Parties Coalition (IPPC).
“The whole team congregated in Machakos for that election. This election was coordinated by DP South and the Office of the Political Parties and IPC, All parties, including those in the minority coalition, were part of the process” stated Muli.
He expounded how he emerged victorious among 23 political parties, securing 16 votes against Koki’s seven. “Out of the 23 parties, all of them voted. I got 16 votes while my colleague from Wiper lost with seven votes,” he said.
Muli expressed shock and dismay at the sudden decision to replace him with the candidate he defeated, attributing the move to what he describes as “political interference and corruption” by the Azimio coalition.
“The surprise was when yesterday you saw in the news that Azimio has decided to change my name and replace me with that of the person who lost to me. This is a surprise to all of us,” Muli went on.
He further accused Junet Mohammed and the Wiper party, led by Kalonzo Musyoka, of attempting to circumvent the democratic process and the rule of law.
Muli contends that the coalition’s decision to replace him violates legal protocols and undermines the integrity of the selection process. He insists that the coalition’s action is illegal, stating,
“The law is clear. If they felt aggrieved, they could easily have gone to court. But you don’t come and show that you are the big person.” He added.
“This position at PPLC is for all the 90 parties, and those parties have chosen me. They haven’t chosen anybody from Wiper. They have chosen me. So for Wiper to now claim they deserve this position, that is corruption, that is illegal, and that is fraud,” Muli asserted.
Muli has called for an independent investigation into the matter, emphasizing the need for integrity and transparency within political processes.
“We are trying to change this country. We are choosing people in the selection panel who are men and women of integrity to be IEBC commissioners, We don’t want liars in this country; we want people of integrity who will stand with the truth in Kenya.” He affirmed.
