The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) held a four-day retreat in Mombasa for all of its staff to evaluate the commission’s handling of the August 9 election.
Journalists with knowledge of the situation said that IEBC Vice-Chairperson Juliana Cherera and three other dissenting commissioners were booed by the staff.
Furthermore, a section of the commission’s staff blamed Cherera, Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi, and Justus Nyang’aya for the commission’s growing schism.
Speaking to the media, Cherera confirmed the incident- pointing out that they also received praises in equal measure.
She also chastised her boss, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati, for failing to intervene during the chaotic session when some of the staff hurled insults at them.
“Yes, I was booed. The other commissioners were booed too. But amidst the booing, some cheered for us.”
“The chairman was in attendance and watched silently as some clusters of staff booed us and he did not raise a finger to stop them,” she added.
During the retreat, Chebukati blamed the four breakaway commissioners for the chaos that ensued at Bomas due to their opposing viewpoints.
The IEBC chair stated that this resulted in the arrest and harassment of innocent officials by law enforcement officers.
“The most unfortunate incident was the false accusation by commissioners and fellow staff – under oath – that exposed innocent hardworking staff to arbitrary arrests and abductions, intimidation and harassment by security agencies and political goons, and other forms of obstructing election officials from conducting their duties.”
“These shameless attacks amounting to election offenses were perpetrated by, among others, persons regarded as national leaders in full view of the whole nation and the world at large,” Chebukati noted.
