How Chebukati called meeting via WhatsApp and gave presidential results - Cherera

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Vice Chairperson, Juliana Cherera, has said that her boss, Chairman Wafula Chebukati,  ignored the electoral body's protocols and acted as a lone wolf when he announced the presidential election results on August 15, 2022.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Friday, Cherera claimed that Chebukati constantly ignored her alongside commissioners Justus Nyangaya, Francis Wanderi and Irene Masit when they sought to verify the results prior to the official announcement  of the said contest at the Bomas of Kenya.

She filed the petition in support in support of Raila Odinga's petition challenging the presidential polls outcome.

On the day the Presidential polls were set to be announced,  Cherera claims to have received a communiqué, at around 11am, from IEBC's Corporate Affairs Manager Tabitha Mutemi instructing her to inform presidential agents to have the various presidential candidates prepare for the official declaration of results at 3pm.

As the senior most commissioner after Chebukati, Cherera said she complied to the order and informed the chairman of the same.

After this she claims that Chebukati, through an IEBC Whatsapp group, informed her and the said commissioners to meet him at one of the boardrooms at the Bomas of Kenya.

"At 4:30pm, the chairperson proceeded to issue the Commissioners with a document containing what he termed as a summary of the presidential election results which he alleged he had tallied and verified from the backend of the server," said Cherera in the affidavit.

"The chairperson did not indicate how the errors and concerns raised by the Representatives of the Presidential Candidates and political parties were dealt with."

Despite Cherera and the three commissioners insisting that they sought to tally and verify the document presented before them, Chebukati allegedly overlooked their concerns said that he would still announce the results.

"The chairperson then walked out of the meeting leaving behind the commissioners and proceeded to the auditorium of the National Tallying Centre at Bomas of Kenya," said Cherera.

"Together with Wanderi, Nyangaya and Masit, I left the meeting room after the Chairperson walked out of the meeting room after disregarding the issues raised by the Commissioners."  

The quartet would soon after leave the premises and head to the Nairobi Serena Hotel where they disowned the presidential polls results during a press briefing.