Ruto mourns former IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati

President William Ruto has mourned the death of former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati.

According to Ruto, Chebukati’s death is a great loss to the country.

The President described Chebukati as a principled leader who served the nation with integrity.

“I have received the news of the passing of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairperson Wafula Chebukati with profound sorrow. Chebukati was a principled and diligent leader who served the nation with integrity. His death is a great loss to our country.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time. Rest In Peace,” Ruto said.

Chebukati died on Thursday, February 20, at 11pm.

The former IEBC boss had been admitted to a hospital in Nairobi where he had been undergoing treatment for nearly a week.

The Former IEBC boss had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. What Chebukati was ailing from still remains private.

Chebukati served as IEBC chair for a full term of six years and retired in January 2023.

He presided over the 2017 and 2022 General Elections. 

During his tenure, he managed to oversee three Kenyan elections: the 2017 Kenyan general election, the October 2017 Kenyan repeat presidential election and the 2022 Kenyan general election.

He was a lawyer with 37 years of experience and ran his sole proprietorship law firm for 20 years.

In 2006, Chebukati founded a Nairobi-based partnership law firm Cootow & Associate Advocates, which he resigned from on January 17, 2017, prior to becoming IEBC chairperson.

He practiced corporate law, commercial law, corporate governance and dispute resolution.

He was a politician and member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, which he also resigned from, before applying for the position of chairperson of IEBC.

Chebukati was married to Mary Chebukati, and had children, though he kept his family life private.