On Wednesday, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati released a statement where he rubbished absurd and debunked claims by IEBC Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera, commissioners Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit that he denied them access to the portal back-end where the final tally was being conducted.
Chebukati maintained that the four rogue commissioners had access to all results and were involved throughout the process of verification and tallying of the presidential election results where UDA Presidential candidate William Ruto was declared the winner.
"As the gazetted National Returning Officer and in the spirit of teamwork, the Chairperson involved all Commissioners including Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit in all activities of verification and tallying. Their duties were well defined in writing and allocated at the National Tally Center (NTC). They had access to all results beforehand and interchangeably announced them for six days in full glare of live television," Chebukati's statement reads.
It adds: "However, during a briefing meeting held on 15th August 2022 at around 3.00pm before the final declaration of the Presidential Election results, the four Commissioners i.e. Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit demanded that the Chairperson moderates the results for purpose of forcing an election Re-run contrary to their oath of office."
"This is tantamount to subverting the Constitution and the sovereign will of the People of Kenya. The Chairperson refused to yield to this unconstitutional and illegal demand and proceeded to declare the results of the Presidential Election as received from the polling stations, and contained in Form 34A, in accordance with the law."
Chebukati notes: "For the avoidance of doubt, the law provides that the Chairperson of the Commission is the Returning Officer of Presidential Election... This constitutional mandate falls squarely on the Chairman of the Commission, who is the National Returning Officer as gazetted in Notice No. 4956 of 28th April 2022. The role of National Returning Officer for Presidential Election is not a shared responsibility and not subject to Plenary decisions of the Commission."
Read:
1. The Day That Left Uhuru's Tattered Legacy in Ruin and Forever Engraved in Infamy.
2. Why Uhuru Exits Political Stage With his Head Hung in Shame.
There is no doubt that Chebukati's statement sets the record straight on the unfortunate events and mayhem that preceded the announcement of presidential election results on August 15 at the Bomas of Kenya.
As many of us have all along been aware of and now echoed by IEBC boss, the series of events that unfolded in the run-up to the big announcement was nothing less than desperate attempts by despot Uhuru Kenyatta to subvert the will of the people to save his failed project, Raila Odinga, who was staring at yet another electoral defeat.
In so doing, the ugly scenes that played out at the Bomas of Kenya on August 15 televised live across the country and the world, could only draw parallels with the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Below is how the two distinct events compare.
1. Both were attempts to subvert democracy by desperate power-hungry despots
On January 6, 2021, following then-US President Donald Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
They sought to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
Similarly, on August 15, Uhuru Kenyatta and the powerbrokers in the deep state having realized that their puppet had lost the race, they unleashed hell through their goons at the National Tallying Centre to prevent Chebukati from declaring William Ruto the winner.
2. Both failed as a result of uncompromising patriots committed to the rule of law
Vice President Mike Pence saved the US Capitol situation by refusing to yield to Trump's and his allies incessant pressure to overturn the results and declare Trump as the winner. Pence reiterated that his role on that day was limited to overseeing the formalization process and had no powers to stop the counting or rule otherwise.
On his part, Chebukati was clear from day one following the August 9 polls, the Form 34As results posted on IEBC portal and made available to the public, was what he would use to announce the final outcome of the presidential election. He acknowledged just before he declared the winner that he had been intimidated and even assaulted in order to change his mind.
3. Both events were a culmination of unsubstantiated and unfounded claims of rigging
False claims of 2020 presidential election fraud by Donald Trump and his allies culminated to the denial of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results climaxing at the US Capitol attack on January 6.
In Kenya, while allegations of vote rigging before, during and immediately after the August 9 polls were minimal, if not unheard of, the tune changed towards the end of the verification and tallying process when it became clear that Azimio and the establishment candidate Raila Odinga was about to lose. It is then that rumours of hacking of IEBC servers and some electoral officials working in cohorts with Ruto's Kenya Kwanza began to fly around. These allegations are yet to be proved at the Supreme Court and the chances that they will, seem highly unlikely.
4. Both were products of disinformation and alternative facts
Trump had vigorously employed disinformation and alternative facts narratives (falsehoods) to convince his supporters that he was the winner but rigged out by democrats and deep state elements. This started even before the election day.
The situation was no different in Kenya where in the days leading to August 15 announcement Azimio leadership and bloggers were pushing a narrative that Raila Odinga had won the presidential polls and was only awaiting IEBC confirmation.
This feel-good alternative reality meant to buoy hopes and morale among supporters was even escalated further when Azimio elected leaders met at KICC on Saturday to 'congratulate' each other for a job well done! All this went on even as reality projected otherwise. Independent tallies by international media and civil society groups in Kenya showed that Odinga was headed for his fifth presidential electoral loss.
5. People reign Supreme
Both resulted in the affirmation that the will of the people reigns supreme and is non-negotiable.