For the first time, former prime minister Raila Odinga discussed how the controversial press conference by dissident IEBC commissioners compelled him to accept the election results.
On Thursday, September 29, Raila said that he was concerned about the country devolving into disorder as a result of the opposition to the election results by the IEBC deputy chairman Juliana Cherera and her colleagues Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi, and Justus Nyang’aya.
Raila cited a comparable incident from 2010 in Ivory Coast, where the election body chairperson hastily revealed results after arguing with juniors. After the election, there were clashes in Ivory Coast, and the previous president Laurent Gbagbo was charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Wafula Chebukati, the head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya, also proclaimed William Ruto the president-elect at Bomas of Kenya while his deputy contested the results at a concurrent press conference, almost following the same path.
After being chosen to act as a mediator between the opposing factions, Raila recalled how he saw the aftermath of the Ivory Coast battles.
“That member of the Ivory commission (who tore the results) was acting on behalf of the then President who had lost the election. The chairman of the electoral body went to a secret location and announced the results then left the country in a quagmire.
“Close to one million lives were lost. I was appointed by the African Union to go and meditate in that conflict,” he stated.
Azimio la Umoja troops have maintained that they won the presidential vote despite the Supreme Court upholding Ruto’s victory.
The apex court trimmed Chebukati’s powers, ruling that he does not have unilateral powers to verify and declare presidential results – a decision Azimio termed as double standards given his declaration of Ruto as the president-elect was upheld.
“The Court finds that there was a boardroom rupture and that the Commission has to act in unison, but curiously says there is no evidence of a violation of the Constitution.
“Indeed, the Court dismisses its own holding about all the members of the Commission being involved by calling the happening at IEBC as “quorum antics”,” the letter signed by Raila’s ally, Makau Mutua and lawyer Paul Mwangi slammed the apex court.
IEBC Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Kulundu was caught in between the row of the IEBC splinter groups, with her boss, CEO Marjan Marjan, accusing her of assisting the Cherera-led team.
Kulundu was, however, reinstated to the office after the High Court invalidated Marjan’s directives on Friday, September 30.
Nonetheless, Raila has insisted on reforming the IEBC and the Judiciary ahead of the 2027 elections.
