Wafula Chebukati took over the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in January 2017.
He succeeded Issack Hassan, who had been forced to stand down after a series of street protests.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta approved his nomination after the National Assembly approved it, along with six other commissioners.
However, his tenure at the electoral commission was marked by various obstacles and scandals, some of which led Kenyans to question Chebukati’s ability to oversee the polls.
Chris Msando Murder
Chris Msando, the IT manager for the IEBC electoral commission, was discovered dead seven months after his employment. Msando’s body was discovered on the outskirts of Nairobi in the Kikuyu district, along with the body of a woman.
Chebukati was among the first to comment on the situation, revealing that the late Msando was tortured before being killed. Msando was tasked with testing the voting method, which had been hailed by the IEBC as eliminating voter tampering in the 2017 elections.Kenya had adopted the Kenya Integrated Electoral Management System (KIEMS) for voter identification and results transmission.
Presidential Elections Canceled
With the boss still grieving the loss of a colleague, he led the IEBC to organize the 2017 elections, which included Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the primary contenders.
After the results, Chebukati pronounced Uhuru the winner by 1.4 million votes, despite Raila’s charges of voter cheating.
The former prime minister and his supporters headed to the Supreme Court, where they filed a lawsuit disputing the election results. Following the court battle, then-Chief Justice David Maraga declared the presidential elections invalid and demanded a new election.
On September 1, 2017, four justices (Maraga, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Smokin Wanjala, and Isaac Lenaola) declared the presidential election null and void, while two judges, Jackton Ojwang’ and Njoki Ndung’u, disagreed.
Despite Raila’s discontent and refusal to participate, Chebukati went ahead and conducted a repeat poll.
Uhuru emerged victorious, sparking widespread protests across the country.
Roselyn Akombe Quits
After the Supreme Court declared the elections invalid and ordered a new election, Chebukati suffered a blow when one of the commissioners, Dr Roselyn Akombe, resigned.
Akombe, who had departed the country, tendered his resignation a week before the polls, citing the IEBC’s inability to handle the repeat polls. She also put Chebukati in a difficult position by stating that the commissioners were corrupt.
“It has become increasingly difficult to continue attending plenary meetings where Commissioners come ready to vote along partisan lines and not to discuss the merit of issues before them,” her letter read in part.
“It has become increasingly difficult to appear on television to defend positions I disagree with in the name of collective responsibility. I have concluded that I am no longer making any contribution to the Commission and to my country as a Commissioner.”
Raila cited her letter as part of his argument against the repeat polls.
Chiloba Fired
During the large rallies organized by Raila and his friends, the then-IEBC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was named and accused of facilitating irregularities.‘Chiloba must go’ screams filled the air during the protests, leading Chebukati to launch an investigation into the former CEO.
Chebukati eventually fired Chiloba in 2018 for violating election management rules.
He highlighted Chiloba’s refusal to implement different Commission/Board judgments and resolutions as one of the reasons for the decision.
Embakasi IEBC Officer Discovered Dead
Fast forward to 2022, when Chebukati confronted nearly identical obstacles to those he encountered while overseeing the 2017 elections. Daniel Mbolu Musyoka, the IEBC officer in charge of Embakasi East, went missing on August 11, 2022, for unknown reasons.
Days later, Musyoka was found dead, causing the electoral body to mourn.
Raila Rejects Election Results
Chebukati was once again at the center of a controversy after Raila Odinga filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the election results.
Before President William Ruto was declared the winner, a fight broke out at Kenya’s Bomas, prompting police intervention.
He announced the poll results while completely encircled by security officers.
Raila suffered a setback in the Supreme Court when Chief Justice Martha Koome dismissed the plea as “hot air.
The Cherera Four
Before the results were published, Chebukati clashed with four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners, led by then-vice-chair Juliana Cherera.
They, Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya, and Irene Masit claimed that despite the IEBC’s effective handling of the August 9, 2022, general election, the last phase of validating the results was not transparent.
Their confession rocked the country and was utilized as part of a petition brought to the Supreme Court by the judges, who ignored their concerns and confirmed Ruto’s victory.
The confirmation provoked nationwide protests, with Raila pointing an accusing finger at Chebukati.
Ruto hailed him as a hero for standing firm in the face of criticism during the 2022 elections, and he eventually retired in January 2023.
Chebukati’s Life Before IEBC
Chebukati rarely appeared in public after retirement, preferring to live a reclusive life.Chebukati had a variety of positions in both the public and private sectors before becoming chairman of the IEBC.
He worked as a legal counselor and consultant for several corporations and government agencies, gaining extensive knowledge in corporate governance, legal issues, and election administration.
He created Cootow & Associates Advocates, where he worked as managing director.
In 2007, he competed for the Saboti parliamentary seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) but was beaten by Eugene Wamalwa, who ran on the Party of National Unity (PNU) ticket.
Chebukati enjoyed playing golf in his spare time and served as captain and chairman of the Mombasa and Nyali Golf Clubs.
