IEBC commissioner defends election results

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday defended the August 9 election, saying it was satisfied with how it was conducted.

Commissioner Bola Molu, who was accompanied by CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan and lawyer Wambua Kilonzo, stated that they followed the law to the letter while conducting the election.

The commissioner spoke at the Supreme Court’s sub-registry at Milimani Law Courts where he had gone to submit certified copies of all forms 34A, 34B, 34C and 34D.

“Election is a much regulated process, we followed the election law to the letter. We are very confident that there was no violation of any procedure, rules and regulation but that is why we have courts to determine,” he said.

Results disowned

He, however, declined to comment on the division in the commission, saying they were only there to submit the election material as required by the law.

Four commissioners led by the vice chair Juliana Cherera disowned the results of the presidential election in which Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner.

In most of the petitions, the commissioners have been named individually as respondents while in others, only Chebukati and IEBC have been named as respondents.

Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Cherono have maintained that Chebukati sidelined them in the tallying and declaration of the results of the presidential election.

“We are deeply concerned that Chebukati has grossly misunderstood his constitutional mandate as the chairman of the commission and has continued to stray away from his responsibility,” they said in a statement.