Woes for Cherera 4 Commissioners Despite Quitting IEBC

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) vice chairperson Juliana Cherera and her three colleagues will still be investigated despite their efforts to de-escalate the situation. 

The tribunal investigating the four beleaguered electoral agency commissioners stated that it would commence the investigations on Tuesday, December 20.

Cherera and the other three, Justus Nyangaya, Francis Wanderi, and Irene Masit, will be grilled individually, according to a statement released on Friday, December 9. 

Nyangaya, Wanderi and Cherera quit office while Irene Masit filed an appeal against the inquiries, adamant that she would not be pressured to resign. 

A photo of Justice Aggrey Muchelule.

File

Justice Aggrey Muchelule, who chairs the tribunal, directed the commissioners to be served with all the relevant documents by Monday, December 12 to allow their respective legal teams adequate time to respond.

Muchelule’s directive came barely days after Cherera, Nyang’aya and Wanderi tendered their resignation to President William Ruto.

In their letters, the trio indicated their actions were misunderstood, adding that they were in the country’s best interest.

“My cumulative actions done in good faith are unfortunately misjudged and misinterpreted.

“After careful consideration of the current events at the commission and with consultation with my family and lawyers, I accept that my stay at the commission is no longer tenable and therefore choose to vacate,” Cherera wrote.

“This decision, while extremely difficult and agonizing for myself and my family, has been necessitated by undue and unwarranted public lynching based on falsified information, fainting my reputation and integrity,” Wanderi added in his letter.

The four were accused of attempting to subvert the people’s will in the August 9 polls by calling for rationalisation of the presidential results.

Notably, the Cherea four commissioners denied the allegations.

Ruto appointed the Muchelule tribunal on Friday, December 2, after Parliament recommended the removal of the commissioners from office

President William Ruto addresses MPs during a Kenya Kwanza parliamentary group meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022.

William Ruto

The President also suspended the four commissioners prior to ordering an inquiry into their actions. In September 2022, he lauded outgoing IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati for refuting to be reportedly coerced into tampering with the presidential results. 

“The hero of the election is Mr Wafula Chebukati and the (IEBC),” Ruto stated on September 5, 2022.