NAIROBI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan leaders and citizens have united in calling for the disbandment of the electoral commission after three commissioners resigned following unending wrangles.
The wrangling that started last year at the height of the country's two disputed elections climaxed Monday after the officials Consalata Maina, Paul Kurgat and Margaret Mwachanya, quit.
Confidence level in the institution has, therefore, hit rock bottom, with the disbandment of the institution seemingly being the only way out of the morass.
Only two commissioners and their chairman have been left at the agency, making it moribund as they have no quorum to transact any business.
The law demands a quorum of five commissioners out of the seven for decision making.
One commissioner, Roselyn Akombe, had resigned in September last year after the cancellation of Aug. 26 repeat polls, leaving the six.
Leaders noted that the fact that the officials have failed to resolve their issues in the boardroom shows the institution is dysfunctional.
Both opposition and ruling party Jubilee legislators were unanimous on Tuesday that the commission is irredeemable.
"The remaining commissioners Wafula Chebukati, Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye must resign within the next seven days or we form a tribunal to investigate them," said Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen.
"My call for the commissioners to resign is informed by recent wrangles linked to the fight for tenders plus control and manipulation of staff," he added.
Senate Minority Leader James Orengo asked the chairman to lead the other commissioners in resigning.
"The resignations at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are a symptom of an incurable cancerous disease that bedevils the commission," said Orengo.
James Ole Kiyiapi, a professor of environmental and a political analyst, said Kenyans have a chance to reconstitute the commission.
"The dysfunction at the commission is exposed. We now have a chance to reconstitute the commission afresh, way before 2022 elections," he noted.
Edward Kisiangani, a history professor and a political commentator, said IEBC is finally disintegrating confirming Kenyans fears of problems at the body.
"Nobody should mourn this development. The commission let the country down. The chicken have come home to roost," he said.
On social media and on the streets, citizens noted that the commission had failed Kenyans.
"There is no two way about it, the commissioners should go home. They have failed the country," shoe shiner Moses Okemwa said on Tuesday.
Okemwa, based in Nairobi, noted that there has been no good news coming out of the commission since it was reconstituted in February 2017.
"If it is not an official has been killed, then its claims elections have been rigged, the chief executive has been sacked or managers are involved in corruption. It is sickening," he said, capturing the sentiments of thousands of Kenyans.
Businessman Norman Muriuki said the happening at the commission point to a crisis that can only be resolved if the commissioners leave.
"The claims and counter claims from the officials make one doubt the credibility of last year's elections," he said, noting that the opposition National Super Alliance was all along justified in calling for the resignation of the officials.
The commission's wrangles dominated discussions on social media for the better part of Monday and Tuesday.
"The three commissioners should learn to resign on a matter of principle. Kenyans have no time for their shenanigans," said Tezere Julian on Twitter.
"To the IEBC commissioners, your work is done. We neither owe you flowers nor gratitude. We cannot reward you for incompetence. We cannot honor you for wrecking our country. Go home quietly. And don't ever come back," wrote Joshua Njenga.
Political analysts noted that the commission has lost the moral authority to conduct any business on behalf of Kenyans.
"The country is supposed to review its constituency boundaries at the end of this. Such an important exercise cannot be left to an agency that Kenyans have lost faith in," said Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer.
However, he noted that while disbanding the commission was the right thing to do now, it may not solve the persistent problems in the agency.
"We are back to where we were in 2016. We brought in new people but the problem has not disappeared. It calls for change of tact," he said, adding current commissioners served shortest stint.
