Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati was on Thursday, September 28, expected to appear before the National Dialogue Committee.
Chebukati together with Juliana Cherera as well as former commissioners Abdi Guliye, Boya Molu, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya were expected to make their submission regarding the management of the 2022 elections.
However, the former IEBC chairman turned down the invitation to appear before the Kalonzo Musyoka-Kimani Ichungwah-led committee.
In a statement signed by former commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu, Chebukati the issues the committee wants them to discuss have already been dealt with.
He said appearing before the committee would be tantamount to betraying the IEBC staff who were tortured and murdered during the election period.
“With tremendous respect to the Committee, our participation in the talks would be an unmitigated betrayal to the staff who were tortured and murdered and an unfortunate reward for impunity,” Chebukati said.
Chebukati, instead requested that a Commission of Inquiry be formed to probe activities in the 2022 General Election.
“It is our fervent hope that in due course, a Commission of Inquiry will be set up to investigate the unfortunate incidences of August 15, 2022, at Bomas of Kenya which brought the image of our country into disrepute,” he added.
The committee co-chaired by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah was formed to break the political impasse between Kenya Kwanza and Azimio La Umoja.
The commission appeared to be split into two factions with one claiming that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had won while another faction announced William Ruto as the president-elect.
Chebukati, Molu, Guliye, and commissions CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan have been on record saying that the election was free and fair.
