Legislators disrupt IEBC, House committee meet over demo

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC's) meeting with the parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs Committee resumed after a 30-minute adjournment caused by disruption by opposition Cord MPs on Tuesday.   

IEBC officials were temporarily ordered out of Parliament Chambers after the Cord legislators who included Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town MP), David Ochieng (Ugenya MP), Jared Opiyo (Muhoroni MP) and Senator Boni Khalwale disrupted the proceedings.

The IEBC commissioners were appearing before the committee Tuesday to discuss the commission's 2017 General Election budget, its pending 2013 General Election bills, status of the referendum law review, and the electoral body's position on Public Accounts Committee report.

Nyando MP Fred Outa, who attended the sitting as a friend of the committee, said the meeting could not proceed until the matter of extrajudicial killings in Monday’s Cord protests was addressed. The protest pushing for disbandment of the IEBC commissioners called by Cord turned chaotic after police engaged the demonstrators in running battles.

Following a heated exchange of words by MPs, the Legal Affairs' committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga ordered the IEBC team out.

"I order IEBC out of these premises since this now becomes an internal matter to allow us agree on a way forward," said Mr Chepkonga.

The meeting resumed sitting after the IEBC officials were recalled.