The four estranged Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners, namely Vice Chair Juliana Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya, have rubbished the electoral body's chairman Wafula Chebukati's claims that they wanted the presidential results moderated to effect a re-run.
The quartet, who disputed the results of the presidential election that placed Ruto ahead of ODM leader Raila Odinga, accused Chebukati of causing conflict within the commission by conducting his mandate unlawfully.
“We wish to categorically state that from his statement, the chairman Mr Chebukati appears to have misconstrued his role and that of the commissioners and further misunderstood his Constitutional and legal mandate to verify results by the Commission to mean what he vaguely characterized as ‘moderation’ of those results,” the commissioners stated.
The commissioners, in a communique sent to newsrooms, clarified that they asked Chebukati to carry out a proper verification of the results and not to moderate the results as he had claimed earlier in a press release.
“The chairman went ahead to unilaterally declare the results without any plenary verification whatsoever by all the commissioners and/or their participation as mandated by the Constitution and electoral laws. His actions and conduct were unorthodox and turned the commission into a one-man show circus, in an attempt to subvert the Constitution, electoral laws, and the will of the people,” they added.
4 dissenting IEBC commissioners wanted presidential results moderated to force re-run – Chebukati
On Wednesday, Chebukati sensationally accused the four commissioners: vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit of demanding that he moderates the results to create room for a re-run.
“As the gazetted National Returning Officer and in the spirit of teamwork, the Chairperson involved all Commissioners including Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit in all activities of verification and tallying. Their duties were well defined in writing and allocated at the National Tally Center (NTC). They had access to all results beforehand and interchangeably announced them for six (6) days in full glare of live television,” Chebukati stated.
“However, during a briefing meeting held on August 15 at around 3pm before the final declaration of the Presidential Election results, the four Commissioners demanded that the Chairperson moderates the results for purpose of forcing an election re-run contrary to their oath of office. This is tantamount to subverting the Constitution and the sovereign will of the People of Kenya,” he stated.
“The Chairperson refused to yield to this unconstitutional and illegal demand and proceeded to declare the results of the Presidential Election as received from the polling stations, and contained in Form 34A, in accordance with the law,” he added.
