Four Dissenting IEBC Commissioners Break Silence After Supreme Court Verdict

The four dissenting Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners have broken their silence following the Supreme Court verdict.

The seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome found that the IEBC results pronouncing DP William Ruto as the President-elect were accurate.

The four; vice chairperson Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Julius Nyangaya, on Tuesday, however, said they respected the Apex court verdict.

In a statement signed by the four commissioners, they also noted that they agreed with chairman Wafula Chebukati’s sentiments.

Read: Four IEBC Commissioners Explain Why They Rejected Presidential Results

“We wish to convey our appreciation to the honorable Judges of the Supreme court of Kenya and confirm that we respect their collective decisions,” they said.

They added: “We also state that we agree with the statement of the chairperson of the commission which was sent to the media yesterday.”

Chebukati on Monday said the court decision vindicated the electoral agency following the ruling.

In a press statement, Chebukati said that despite threats and physical abuse directed at members of staff, including himself, the court’s ruling proved that the general election on August 9 was legally conducted.

Read Also: Four IEBC Commissioners Reject Presidential Results

“The Supreme Court judgment today is a testimony that the commission conducted a free, fair, transparent and credible general election that met the democratic aspirations of the people of Kenya,” Chebukati said. 

The chair denounced the assaults, ethnic profiling, and attacks against IEBC employees, some of whom lost their lives.

It should not be a death sentence, he said, to work for the IEBC.

“To date, no one has been arrested for these crimes committed against the Commission and its staff. As it stands, no human rights and civil society organisation have condemned these heinous acts,” Chebukati said. 

Read Also: Working For IEBC Should Not Be a Death Sentence – Chebukati Says After Supreme Court Verdict

“In the course of discharging our constitutional duty, IEBC and its staff endured harassment, intimidation, abduction, arrests and some lost their lives. It is tragic that Mr. Daniel Musyoka, a Returning Officer for Embakasi East Constituency, was abducted and tortured to death.”

As for the four commissioners, the bench found that the four dissenting commissioners were not excluded from the process even though the constitution’s provision does not specify that the Chairperson should act alone in the verification, tallying, and proclamation of results.

“We however take cognizant that the four dissenting commissioners actively took part in verification, tallying and declaration of the results from the beginning and until just before the declaration of the results,” CJ Koome stated.

“They took turns announcing the results that were verified and tallied and were present and active during the actual verification exercise at Bomas,” she said.