Economy

IEBC new and old guard wrangle over President-elect polls victory

Juliana Cherera iebc

IEBC vice chairperson Juliana Cherera. PHOTO | NMG

The announcement of William Ruto as the President-Elect on Monday split the electoral body, with all the four commissioners appointed a year ago questioning the credibility of the results Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati declared.

The four, led IEBC vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, disowned the results at a news conference Monday evening, saying some aspects of the electoral process were opaque.

Others were Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya.

They were appointed in September last year to replace commissioners Consolata Nkatha, Margaret Mwachanya, Paul Kurgat and Roselyn Akombe, who resigned after the 2017 polls -- marred by the nullification of the presidential election outcome by the Supreme Court.

Abdi Yakub Guliye and Boya Molu who have been with the electoral body since January 2017, however, stuck with Mr Chebukati as he announced the results at Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

The four dissenting commissioners said the exercise of verification was all right until the last phase when the process turned opaque and that they did not wish to be part of it.

They declined to answer questions from journalists, saying they would issue a comprehensive statement later.

The claims by the four commissioners might be used as one of the grounds in a presidential election petition, in case Azimio la Umoja or any other Kenyan challenges the results at the Supreme Court.

A petition should be filed within seven days from the day the results are announced and determined within 14 days.

Mr Chebukati disclosed that a number of IEBC officials were under arrest for unknown reasons and one official is reported missing. The returning officer for Nairobi’s Embakasi East Constituency Daniel Musyoka has been missing since he announced the results on August 11.

He also claimed that IEBC officials had been harassed, intimidated and injured during the process.

“I stand here despite intimidation and harassments. I took an oath of office to serve this country and I have done my duty in accordance to the Constitution and the laws of the land,” said Mr Chebukati.

If a petition is filed at the Supreme Court, it would be the third time the apex would be asked to arbitrate a presidential election dispute since it was created under the 2010 Constitution.

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***UPDATED