Four “splinter” electoral commissioners have joined their colleagues for a meeting of the postponed election of candidates in eight elective positions.
The four, vice chairperson Juliana Cherera and commissioners Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya, and Irene Masit, had rejected the results of the presidential election declared by chairman Wafula Chebukati.
The commission met today in Kenya’s Bomas to discuss the next steps in the by-elections, which were supposed to take place tomorrow but have since been postponed indefinitely.
One could feel the tension in the room as none of the commissioners seemed to be happily consulting as they did before answering any questions.
The meeting comes at the backdrop of word wars between Mr Chebukati and the four led by Cherera.
The IEBC’s vice chair Cherera’s position remains the same. The final bit of the election tallying was flawed, while the Chebukati-led minority labelled the four as rogue agents who were out to ‘subvert the will of the people.
Mr Chebukati declared William Ruto president-elect in the August 9 elections with 7, 176, 141 votes (50.49 per cent). Mr Odinga, who received 6, 942,930 votes (48.85 per cent), has declared the results null and void.
The results were disowned by the four commissioners, who cited ‘opaqueness’ and strange math.
The four commissioners claimed that the IEBC chairman’s failure to involve them in the final phase of the declaration of the result was illegal, citing a Court of Appeal decision that warned against Mr Chebukati’s “sweeping and boundless power” as the presidential elections returning officer.
