Looming Fresh Problems for Cherera 4 as Wafula Chebukati Demands These Tough Penalties for Them
Mr. Wafula Chebukati, the former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has demanded changes to address internal strife and allegations of official intimidation.
In a speech he gave at the 2023 ECONEC Symposium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Chebukati called for harsh penalties for election officials who attempt to tamper with the results.
A major obstacle he saw in the August 2022 elections was meddling by politicians and the executive branch among commissioners, he said.
Concerned about the increasing number of cases when commission staff, including commissioners, have been threatened with death while carrying out their duties, Chebukati voiced his worries.
One of his three measures to deal with these kinds of situations was to have state and non-state agencies work together to ensure the safety of election officials.
When the Executive tampers with the administration of an election, the former head of the IEBC said that they should be held to account.
In reference to the division within the Commission, Chebukati mentioned that a group of ex-commissioners, including his former deputy Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya, were against the results that pronounced President William Ruto the winner.
He said the Cherera Four were trying to get the results adjusted so they could go to a runoff, but they refuted the accusation.
All other authorities should just provide support and not take charge of the election, according to Chebukati, who said that the Commission should be left to its own devices.
He demanded harsh legislation, heavy fines, and other severe punishments for commission members who wanted to alter the people’s will as have shown on the ballot.
