President William Ruto has fired back at Azimio leader Raila Odinga for coming to the defence of the embattled four IEBC commissioners dubbed as the Cherera four.

Raila together with his Azimio counterparts were in the chambers where the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly began hearing petitions filed against IEBC vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, Francis Mathenge, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya.

Th four commissioners differed with IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati following the August 2022 general elections when they held a different press conference at Serena Hotel.

Raila said the petitions against the four has other motives.

According to Raila, the ouster process has kicked off while an existing petition in the National Assembly to remove IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati has not been tabled.

“A petition by Mr Milton Nyakundi Oriku dated 19th September 2022 against the three – Chebukati, Guliye and Molu – was received at the Main Records Unit of the Senate on 28th September 2022. To date, it has not been tabled before the Senate,” said Raila.

Ruto in response told off Raila, terming the Azimio team as “the lords of impunity who destroyed oversight institutions using the handshake”.

Ruto further told the opposition to allow the parliament to hold rogue officials to account.

“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. New order is RULE of LAW not wishes of big men,” Ruto tweeted.