A group of Nairobi residents has officially filed a petition with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to recall Esther Passaris, the Woman Representative of Nairobi County.
The petition, submitted on Monday, July 28, was presented by activist Shakira Wafula, and the IEBC confirmed they received it the same day.
According to the petitioners, Passaris has violated the Constitution, abused her office, neglected her duties, and breached public trust.
The petition clearly stated that her behavior has not matched the standards expected of a State Officer and that she has failed to carry out her representative and oversight roles with integrity and accountability.
They claimed she has disrespected Nairobi voters and undermined the very principles that guided her election to office.
Soon after the news broke, Kenyans on social media started urging more Nairobi residents to join the campaign by submitting their signatures to support the recall.
Many argued that the move to remove Passaris was long overdue, pointing to what they described as her silence on important matters affecting Nairobi and her lack of action on issues she promised to address during her campaigns.
The recall process is clear under Kenyan law. After a petition is submitted, the next step is for the petitioner to collect names and signatures from at least one-third of registered voters in the constituency.
These signatures must come from various parts of Nairobi, not just one ward or area. Once collected, the IEBC has 30 days to verify the names.
If the list is valid, the Commission then has 15 days to send a formal notice to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
After that, a recall election must be held within 90 days, where voters will be asked if they want to recall their MP. If the majority say yes, a by-election is held. Interestingly, the recalled MP can still run again in that election.
This petition comes at a time when the IEBC Chairperson, Erastus Ethekon, confirmed the Commission has received at least four recall petitions for different MPs.
He declined to name them but stated that each petition would be considered seriously.
In addition to the case against Passaris, residents in North Imenti filed a petition to recall their MP Rahim Dawood, who has served three terms.
The recall push is gaining momentum as Kenyans feel their MPs are not doing enough. Many believe the time has come for voters to hold their leaders accountable, especially after the IEBC was reconstituted.
The June 2024 protests revived discussions about poor leadership, and now, with the IEBC operational again, citizens are taking action using the legal paths available.
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