Police were today forced to lob tear gas canisters to disperse Azimio supporters who are protesting the interdiction of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Kulundu.
Led by Ruaraka legislator TJ Kajwang’ and former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, the Azimio supporters protested at the IEBC headquarters, Anniversary Towers to present their petition.
According to the lawmakers, Kulundu was interdicted for being a whistle-blower in the just concluded August 9 elections.
They further indicated that her interdiction was a witch-hunt devised by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s for having assisted the four dissenting IEBC commissioners.
In the run-up to the announcement of the final presidential results IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan accused Kulundu of misconduct and arranging an illegal commission plenary meeting without approval.
However, on their part, the Azimio leaders want Kulundu reinstated to her position even as they accuse IEBC of victimising officials deemed friendly to the party.
An irate Kajwang’ could not fathom why the police lobbed teargas despite them to maintain peace during the picketing, adding it was their constitutional right to picket.
“We arrived here very peaceful 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 severally without provocation just because we are conducting our constitutional mandate,” Kajwang’ said.
Nevertheless, the police demanded that the leaders disperse their supporters before they got an audience with the electoral body.