Thursday, August 25, 2022 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has moved to set the record straight over Wafula Chebukati’s role in the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Mombasa and Kakamega Counties.
This is after Azimio Leader Raila Odinga demanded Chebukati to recuse himself and allow his able Vice Chair Juliana Cherera to oversee the elections, saying the IEBC Chair is a criminal for bungling the August 9th, General Election.
While speaking in Mombasa yesterday, Raila accused Chebukati of committing an electoral offense thus asking him to step aside.
“We want the Kakamega and Kakamega elections to be overseen by IEBC Deputy Chairperson Juliana Cherera. Chebukati as an accused person should disqualify himself,” Raila stated.
He argued that the accusations leveled against Chebukati were valid to remove him from office. He further accused the IEBC chairperson of colluding with opponents to suspend polls in Kakamega and Mombasa.
But in a quick rejoinder, IEBC faulted Raila, accusing him of misleading Kenyans regarding the management of the suspended polls.
IEBC explained that the suspended polls slated for Monday, August 29, will be overseen by Returning Officers, not Chebukati.
The commission explained that Returning Officers charged with conducting the polls had already been gazetted before the elections were suspended.
“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, August 29, 2022, are misleading,” its statement read in part.
“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,” the commission added.
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