Embattled Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Francis Wanderi has resigned.
Wanderi tendered his resignation on Thursday, December 8, 2022, becoming the third commissioner to resign from the electoral body after Justus Nyang'aya and former vice chair Juliana Cherera.
In a letter, Wanderi insisted that he was innocent and had dispensed his duties diligently.
"As I tender my resignation today, I do so not because I am guilty of the allegations levelled against me by the petitioners, but because there comes a time when the country is more important than any individual," the letter reads in parts.
He additionally stated that his resignation was necessitated by undue and unwarranted public lynching based on 'falsified information'.
"This decision, while extremely difficult and agonizing for myself and my family, has been necessitated by undue and unwarranted public lynching based on falsified information, fainting my reputation and integrity," the letter added.
Other commissioners resign
Wanderi’s resignation comes just days after Cherera resigned as IEBC vice chair.
Cherera stated that she made the decision to resign after consultations with her family and lawyers.
She added that her stay at the commission was no longer tenable.
"It is with immense woe that today I tender my resignation as commissioner and vice chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)," Cherera stated.
"Since joining the commission, I have dispensed my duties diligently, meticulously and put a spirited effort in helping the commission deal with corporate governance issues under very difficult circumstances. As vice chairperson, I always advocated for fair treatment and equal opportunity for all staff," she added.
Justus Nyang’aya also resigned as IEBC commissioner.
Nyang’aya announced his resignation from the electoral body hours after President William Ruto suspended him alongside three other commissioners of the electoral body.
At the time, he stated that his resignation was after weeks of soul searching and prayer in pursuit of wisdom to come up with a decision that is in the best interest of the country.
"It is with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation as a commissioner of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) effective today. In the last few weeks, I have had serious soul searching and being a man of faith, prayed fervently so that I may have the wisdom to make a decision that is in the best interest of the country," the letter read in part.
