Kenya Mourns Former IEBC Chief Wafula Chebukati at 63

Wafula Chebukati, Former IEBC Chairman, Passes Away at 63

February 21, 2025
By Nation Africa

Wafula Wanyonyi Chebukati, the former Chairman of Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has passed away at the age of 63. His death marks the end of a significant era in Kenya's electoral history, as Chebukati played a pivotal role in overseeing two of the country’s most contentious and polarizing elections.

Chebukati served as the IEBC Chairman from January 2017 to January 2023, guiding the commission through politically charged electoral seasons. His tenure was notably marked by two fiercely contested presidential elections in 2017 and 2022, each with its share of controversies that shaped the nation’s political landscape.

When Chebukati assumed office in early 2017, he did so in the midst of a tense political climate, with then-President Uhuru Kenyatta seeking re-election against opposition leader Raila Odinga. Despite taking charge only seven months before the general election, Chebukati and his team faced immense pressure to conduct a free and fair election. The result of the 2017 presidential poll, which saw Kenyatta declared the winner, was annulled by Kenya’s Supreme Court due to widespread irregularities and illegalities in the IEBC's process. This marked the first time in the nation’s history that a presidential election result had been invalidated.

In the aftermath of the court's decision, a fresh election was called within 60 days. However, Raila Odinga boycotted the rerun, accusing Chebukati’s commission of mishandling the initial election. Despite these tensions, Chebukati held firm and continued in his role, eventually overseeing the highly disputed 2022 election.

The 2022 race was no less turbulent. Once again, the opposition, led by Odinga, alleged that the election results were rigged in favor of William Ruto, the eventual victor. The opposition's claims included accusations that unauthorized access to the IEBC’s systems manipulated the results. Despite these serious allegations, the Supreme Court dismissed the claims and upheld Ruto's victory, which was followed by his swearing-in as Kenya's fifth president.

The road to the 2022 polls was further complicated by deep internal divisions within the IEBC. During the election period, significant discord emerged among the commission’s seven members. Chebukati led a faction that included Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye, while a rival group, known as the "Cherera Four" (comprising Vice Chair Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, and Justus Nyang’aya), openly opposed the commission’s actions. This public split reached a boiling point when four commissioners walked out during the announcement of the election results, citing unverified data and procedural irregularities. The dispute ultimately led to the removal of one of the dissenting commissioners, Irene Masit, following a tribunal inquiry.

After completing his six-year tenure at the helm of the IEBC, Chebukati largely retreated from the public eye. Reports suggested that his health had been in decline, but he remained a figure of immense political importance due to his involvement in pivotal electoral moments.

Chebukati was born on December 19, 1961, and held both a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Business Administration from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Before his involvement with the IEBC, Chebukati was politically active, having contested for the Saboti Constituency parliamentary seat in 2007. He was also a member of the Orange Democratic Movement, from which he resigned prior to applying for the IEBC Chairmanship.

Despite his controversial tenure, Chebukati’s legacy will remain intertwined with Kenya’s electoral history, where he played a key role during two of the most intense and divisive elections in the country’s recent past.