Former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati is dead
Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati has passed away.
His death has been confirmed by family members.
Chebukati, who oversaw Kenya’s 2017 and 2022 general elections, died under circumstances that are yet to be officially confirmed.
Prior to his death, he was admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Nairobi hospital, but what he was ailing from remained private.
He had been undergoing treatment at home and was taken to the hospital after the situation got dire.
Chebukati’s IEBC tenure
Chebukati, a seasoned lawyer, served as IEBC Chairman from January 2017 to January 2023, a period marked by high-profile court challenges, and complex political dynamics.
His leadership during the 2017 election drew both national and international attention, especially after the David Maraga-led Supreme Court nullified the presidential results, an unprecedented ruling in Africa.
The Supreme Court invalidated the results, dispatching the country back to the ballot on account of a myriad of transgressions attributed to the commission he chaired.
However, the National Super Alliance (NASA) side led by Raila Odinga boycotted the October 26, 2017 presidential repeat polls.
In 2022, Chebukati once again took center stage as he led the commission through a contentious election cycle.
His announcement of the election results was met with a mixed response, as political tensions ran high, and some commissioners expressed dissent.
Cherera Four
The Cherera Four, Juliana Cherera, Francis Wandera, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya, were the IEBC commissioners who disputed the 2022 presidential election results announced by Chebukati.
The other two commissioners, Abdi Yakub Guliye and Boya Molu agreed with the final tally of the election results.
The 2022 elections were a source of contention between the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party and Kenya Kwanza brigades, with opposition leader Raila Odinga calling for the servers to be opened, while President William Ruto argued that the elections were in the past, and that the country needed to move on.
