'The Lords of Impunity' President Ruto Retaliates Against Raila

Taking to his Twitter account, President Ruto termed the opposition leader and allies as the 'Lords of impunity' who destroyed the IEBC, especially after the handshake that was witnessed between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the opposition leader Raila Odinga.

President Ruto went ahead to state that the opposition should allow the parliament to deal with the four commissioners who went astray during the announcement of the winner in the August 2022 elections. Ruto also stated that disciplinary action needed to be taken against the four commissioners.

"The lords of impunity, who destroyed oversight institutions using the handshake fraud, should allow parliament to hold rogue officials who put the nation in danger by subverting the democratic will of the people to be held to account," President Ruto stated.

Ruto further added that the rule of law was to be adhered to and not that of the people.

"New order is RULE of LAW not wishes of big men," he added.

The issues on the four IEBCs have caused an uproar among the two parties, especially after the parliament sitting that was witnessed on November 24, 2022.

Raila Odinga had earlier stated that the ongoing removal process of the four dissenting IEBC commissioners would end badly for President William Ruto. He also added that if it doesn't stop, he will personally lead a retaliatory drive against the President. 

"The injustice being inflicted on the four IEBC commissioners, if it proceeds as currently conceived, will mark the beginning of a massive pushback against Ruto and those who think like him... We will openly and robustly lead that pushback," Raila stated.

Raila spoke as hearings on four petitions seeking the removal of the four commissioners who sharply and openly differed with chairman Wafula Chebukati on election results tallying and the announcement that started on November 24.

The petitioners want vice chair Juliana Cherera and commissioners Irene Masit, Justus Nyang'aya, and Francis Wanderi removed from office over alleged gross misconduct and violation of the Constitution. The four commissioners walked out of the national tallying center at the Bomas of Kenya on September 15 shortly before Chebukati declared Ruto the President-elect.

The four IEBC commissioners. PHOTO FILE

Cherera led her colleagues in stating that they could not own the results owing to the opaque nature of the final phase of the results verification.

The Legal and Justice Committee of the National Assembly is hearing the petitions filed against them by Geoffrey Langat, Steve Gerry, Dennis Nthumbi, and the Republican Liberty Party.