President-elect William Ruto has criticized calls for the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) amid vote-rigging claims.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, August 26, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance leader said the calls by the Azimio One Kenya coalition should not be entertained.

Kenya Kwanza, Ruto said, won’t allow the Azimio camp to ‘destroy’ the electoral body led by Wafula Chebukati.

Ruto accuses Raila of interfering with independent institutions

He accused Azimio leader Raila Odinga of bringing down Chebukati’s predecessors, Isaac Hassan and Samuel Kivuitu.

“We are aware that our competitors destroyed the Kivuitu commission, they destroyed the Hassan commission they are now on a mission to destroy the Chebukati commission. We want to tell them it’s not right and we will not allow them,” the outgoing deputy president said at a press conference in Karen.

While accusing the Azimio coalition of an attempt to intimidate the Judiciary ahead of the hearing of the presidential petitions challenging his victory, Ruto said there is a need to respect independent institutions.

“We are building this country around institutions and all of us irrespective of who we are irrespective of how much power we wield we must respect institutions we must build institutions,” he added.

“…For us to live in a secure, predictive and democratic society we must build our institutions so that the rule of law overrides the rule of men. I want to ask all concerned and all of us to give IEBC its due mandate to do its job. Let us give the Judiciary the space and the opportunity to do their work so that we can begin the journey of building out the country and moving Kenya into the future.”

Ruto made the remarks amid attacks on Chebukati, who Raila accuses of bungling the just concluded presidential election.

In a case filed at the Supreme Court on Monday, August 22, Azimio claims IEBC’s systems were compromised to give undue advantage to Ruto.

Ruto, who ran on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket, was declared the winner of the polls after garnering 7,176,141 (59.4%) votes against Raila’s 6,942,930 (48.85%).