This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
On the eve of the repeat presidential election on October 26, 2017, the country was on edge, awaiting a crucial decision from Wafula Chebukati, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
According to sources close to him, Mr. Chebukati was seriously considering resigning, a move that would have plunged the country into chaos.
His silence on the matter had fueled speculation, with all security agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, concerned that his departure would lead to anarchy.
Two months earlier, the Supreme Court had voided President Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in the August 8 presidential election, citing the IEBC's failure to comply with the law.
Mr. Chebukati, a lawyer who had been plucked from private practice to lead the commission, was under immense pressure, with some family members and close friends asking him to reconsider his position.
“Unlike Akombe, I have all my family members here,” he told a confidant. “What would become of them if I left the country in a similar fashion?”
Dr. Roselyn Akombe, a member of the IEBC, had recently tendered her resignation, citing concerns about the commission's ability to deliver a credible election.
Her departure had shocked the country, with all attention shifting to Mr. Chebukati.
On October 18, 2017, Dr. Akombe had announced her resignation from New York, stating, “The commission in its current state can surely not guarantee a credible election on October 26. I do not want to be party to such a mockery to electoral integrity.”
Mr. Chebukati did not respond to our request for an interview, but in an earlier interview, he acknowledged facing untold demands, with some family members and close friends asking him to reconsider his position.
There had also been claims that the IEBC chair and some commissioners had been approached and offered attractive rewards, even asylum outside the country, if they agreed to pull out of the exercise.
With just days to election day, the chairman was forced to come out and reassure the nation that all was well and that he was not leaving.
“There may be differences of opinion, but the commission is united and committed to deliver a credible, free and fair election. Our mandate is on elections and we are ready in all areas. We have a contract with the Kenyan people; the chairman is not planning to resign; the commissioners are not planning to resign; that is fake news,” Mr. Chebukati said.
