News of the death of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has left the country in shock.
Chebukati’s tenure at the IEBC will remain etched in many people’s minds for the roller-coaster ride it presented to the public, marked by legal battles, political tensions, and historic milestones in Kenya’s electoral history.
He first appeared on the national stage in 2017 when former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him as IEBC chair, alongside six new commissioners—Consolata Nkatha, Boya Molu, Roselyn Akombe, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya, and Abdi Guliye—replacing Ahmed Issack Hassan’s team, which had overseen the 2013 elections.
The commission’s first major test came during the 2017 General Election, which was marred by controversy.
On September 1, 2017, the Supreme Court nullified the re-election of former President Kenyatta, citing ‘irregularities and illegalities’ in the electoral process—a first in Africa.
Chief Justice David Maraga then ordered a fresh presidential election within 60 days.
Tensions escalated when, just a week before the repeat polls, then Commissioner Roselyn Akombe resigned and fled to the United States, citing fears for her safety.
Amid mounting pressure, Chebukati admitted he could not guarantee the credibility of the election.
Despite the challenges, the repeat election proceeded, with Kenyatta declared the winner. Opposition leader Raila Odinga, alleging a flawed process, urged his supporters to boycott the vote.
On April 16, 2018, the commission faced another blow when three commissioners—Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya, and Connie Maina—resigned, accusing Chebukati of poor leadership and alleging that the electoral agency had become “dysfunctional” due to external interference.
They claimed the chairperson offered no leadership and “the commission boardroom had become a venue for peddling misinformation, grounds for brewing mistrust, and a space for scrambling for and chasing individual glory and credit”.
This left Chebukati with only two commissioners, Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu. Civil society groups and the opposition argued that the Commission lacked a quorum and called for the entire body to step down.
Chebukati, however, remained in office and oversaw significant developments, including debates around the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a constitutional amendment effort following the 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
The courts eventually declared the BBI unconstitutional.
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In 2021, ex-President Kenyatta appointed four new commissioners: Irene Masit, Justus Nyang’aya, Juliana Cherera, and Francis Wanderi.
During the 2022 General Election, the Commissioners showed their unity throughout the election process but publicly differed when the time to announce the election winner came.
A week later, when Chebukati was preparing to announce the results and declare the presidential-elect, there was a sudden walkout by the four new commissioners.
Led by former IEBC Vice-Chairperson Juliana Cherera, disowned the outcome of the results at a news conference saying some aspects of the electoral process were “opaque”.
Chaos erupted at the national tallying center at the Bomas of Kenya, forcing security forces to intervene and escort Chebukati to safety.
Eventually, he declared William Ruto as the president-elect.
The Supreme Court later upheld Ruto’s election, dismissing all legal challenges and effectively vindicating Chebukati.
The dissenting commissioners—dubbed the “Cherera Four”—later resigned, except for Irene Masit, who faced a tribunal investigating alleged constitutional violations.
Chebukati, along with commissioners Molu and Guliye, completed their six-year term, officially leaving office in January 2023.
