The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has debunked a viral news item falsely claiming it received 60 petitions to recall underperforming Members of Parliament. In an official notice issued on July 19, the commission flagged the widespread online post as fake, cautioning the public against the deliberate spread of misinformation. The fabricated news card had misquoted IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, alleging that the purported petitions stemmed from MPs' failure to adequately represent their constituents' interests. This incident comes just weeks after the new commission members were sworn into office.
Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Erastus Edung Ethekon Photo However, on Friday, July 18, Ethekon confirmed that IEBC had received four requests to have certain MPs recalled.
Speaking during a press briefing, the IEBC chair said that the requests would be considered based on the weight of the matters raised. Revealing that Kenyans are legally entitled to recall an MP, provided that the reasons given by the citizens are legitimate under the Constitution, he promised that the commission would act within its remit to tackle the matter. "Kenyans are actively discussing this subject of recall.
So, currently we have received roughly four applications, and we will look at them once we get back to the office," Ethekon said. "It is the right of every Kenyan to exercise their right to recall an MP as per the Constitution, and as the electoral board, we will do what the law allows us to do," he added.
