logo
ADVERTISEMENT

'Rebel' commissioners hit back at Chebukati over runoff claims

They've accused Chebukati of being autocratic and turning IEBC into a one-man-show.

image
by EMMANUEL WANJALA

News19 August 2022 - 15:47
ADVERTISEMENT

In Summary


  • • On Wednesday, Chebukati accused the four commissioners of trying to subvert the sovereign will of Kenyans by forcing a runoff.
  • • But the commissioners hit back at their boss accusing him of having misconstrued the commission's mandate to verify results to that of moderating the verification process.
Commissioners Justus Abonyo, Juliana Cherera, Irene Cherop and Francis Wanderi address the media at Serena hotel on August 15, 2022.

The four IEBC commissioners who dissented over the presidential election results have accused their boss Wafula Chebukati of turning the commission into a one-man show.

In a statement on Friday, vice chair Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang'aya and Irene Masit said their demand to thoroughly verify the results before declaration falls within their constitutional mandate.

They said Chebukati's refusal to grant this request was autocratic.

"He argued that there was no legal basis for the commission's involvement in supervising and verifying results received at the national tallying centre," they said. 

On Wednesday, Chebukati accused the four commissioners of trying to subvert the sovereign will of Kenyans by forcing a runoff.

He termed as false and misleading their argument that summation of all valid votes attained by the four presidential candidates was opaque as it exceeded 100 per cent.

The chairman also dismissed their claims that the commissioners were kept in the dark on the final tally, insisting they were regularly apprised and took part in declaring some of the results from the constituencies.

But the commissioners hit back at their boss accusing him of having misconstrued their mandate to verify results to one of moderating them. 

"At no time did the commission seek to moderate election results but rather requested that a proper verification as envisaged in the Constitution is carried out," they said.

"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."


WATCH: The latest videos from the Star
ADVERTISEMENT

logo© The Star 2024. All rights reserved