By William Koome
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has told off four dissenting commissioners for rejecting the results that he used to announce Kenya Kwanza Presidential candidate William Ruto as President Elect.
Responding to claims that he had sole access to the portal where the final tally was generated and that he did not give the commissioners’ time to peruse and or interrogate the results before announcement, Mr Chebukati claimed the four wanted to force an election re-run.
“During a briefing on August 15 at 3PM before the final declaration of the Presidential results, the four commissioners demanded that the Chairperson moderates the results for purpose of forcing a re-run,” he said in a press release sent to media houses.
Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera and Commissioners Justus Nyang’aya, Irene Masit and Francis Wanderi Tuesday cited erroneous aggregation of the final score for the four candidates, failure by Chebukati to announce results from some constituencies before announcing the final tally at Bomas of Kenya.
Saying the results belonged to Chebukati and not the electoral agency, the commissioners said Mr Chebukati also failed to announce the total votes cast and rejected ones.
But Mr Chebukati maintained that the four were involved in all activities including verification and tallying and that their duties were well defined in writing.
On the commissioners’ insistence that they must be allowed to interrogate results before they are announced, Mr Chebukati said the constitutional mandate was a preserve of the IEBC Chairperson.
“The role of the national returning officer for the Presidential election is not a shared responsibility and not subject to plenary decisions of the Commission,” Mr Chebukati noted.
A President elect must get 50 percent of the total votes cast plus one vote to secure round one win.
Mr Chebukati has already gazetted William Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua as President and Deputy President Elects respectively.
Azimio la Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday maintained that he will move to Supreme Court to challenge the results used to declare Dr Ruto as the winner.
“We ask Kenyans to remain calm as we pursue available legal and constitutional options,” Mr Odinga said.
The electoral agency announced postponement of gubernatorial elections in Mombasa and Kakamega and Parliamentary races in Kacheliba, Pokot South, Kitui Rural and Rongai constituencies that had been slated for August 23.
Also pushed to a later day are elections for Nyaki West and Kwa Njenga MCA seats in North Imenti in Meru and Embakasi South in Nairobi respectively.
Mr Chebukati decried what he termed as harassment and intimidation of his staff through profiling and arbitrary arrests and demanded for arrest and prosecution of the culprits regardless of their political affiliation.
“This has instilled fear within the staff who are now unable to report to office for duty. This harassment must stop,” he said.
He cited the Monday’s attack on him and Commissioners Prof Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu and Secretary Marjan H. Marjan during the announcement of the Presidential results at the Bomas of Kenya.
