IEBC distances Chebukati from Kakamega, Mombasa governor seat elections
By evans.maritim, August 24, 2022Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has distanced its chairman Wafula Chebukati from the management of Kakamega and Mombasa governor seat elections scheduled for August 29, 2022.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 24, the commission said the statement made by Raila Odinga in Mombasa was “misleading”, adding that gazetted Returning Officers will run the elections.
“The Commission wishes to inform the public that the statements made today by Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga with regard to the role of the Chairman in the two Gubernatorial elections scheduled for Monday 29th August 2022 are misleading.
“Gubernatorial elections are run by gazetted Returning Officers as provided for by the law. For the avoidance of doubt, Returning Officers for Mombasa and Kakamega counties are Ibrahim Swalhah Yusuf and Joseph Ayatta, respectively,” IEBC said.
Speaking in Mombasa today, Raila accused Chebukati of overseeing a fraudulent process in the August 9 polls.
IEBC Vice Chair Juliana Cherera
He asked the IEBC boss to allow his deputy Juliana Cherera to oversee next week’s elections.
“We are saying that the Mombasa and Kakamega elections will be held under the supervision of IEBC Vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera. As an accused person, Chebukati should disqualify himself from the process and allow impartial people to take charge,” Raila said.
Cherera was among four commissioners who disowned the presidential results announced by Chebukati on Monday, August 15. The quartet claims the final tallying of the presidential results was not transparent.
Raila insists that Chebukati bungled the August 9 presidential election, whose outcome he rejected.
In a petition filed at the Supreme Court on Monday, Raila wants a seven-judge bench to nullify the election of Kenya Kwanza Alliance leader William Ruto as Kenya’s fifth president.
IEBC postponed a number of elections on August 9 over a ‘ballot mixup’.
Also on the list are parliamentary elections in Kitui Rural, Kacheliba, Pokot South, and Rongai Constituency in Nakuru County.
Elections for MCAs in Nyaki West ward (North Imenti Constituency in Meru County) and Kwa Njenga (Embakasi South in Nairobi County) were also postponed.