Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati on Tuesday laid bare how Azimio members allegedly tried to influence the commissioners into rigging the August Election in favor of Raila Odinga.
Appearing before a tribunal led by Justice Aggrey Muchelule, Chebukati claimed IEBC commissioners were offered a bribe to moderate the presidential election results.
He said it was on August 15, 2022, when a team of three people stormed his holding room in Bomas at 3 a.m. and interrupted his nap.
“I got information from my security detail and members of staff that there are gentlemen who want to see me. They walked in uninvited as I was in the holding room. I actually told my CEO that I would take a nap for one hour and was woken up by these men,” he said.
Chebukati identified the trio as former Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, former Busia Senator Amos Wako and advocate Kyalo Mbobu.
The outgoing IEBC commissioner said the three took their seats and introduced themselves.
“They introduced the purpose of the visit that they wanted to discuss the tallying process and I told them if that’s the case I would have to invite all the commissioners to discuss,” he said.
“The commissioners were on the floor of the auditorium and it took them only a minute or two for them to join us.”
Chebukati said Amos Wako spoke first and suggested that the commission should”moderate” the results to avert possible post-election chaos.
“The first speaker was Amos Wako who said that we should not operate in a vacuum and we should look at the bigger picture for the country and when you reach this kind of situation you can moderate results and achieve stability of the country,” Chebulati told the tribunal.
The former IEBC chair said Tuju echoed Wako’s sentiments, saying if Chebukati could not moderate the results then they should force a run-off.
“Tuju said that it was necessary that we moderate these results in favor of Baba and that any contrary declaration of the results would plunge the country into chaos. I understood Baba to be Raila Odinga,” Chebukati testified.
“He said that in the alternative, if it was not possible to moderate the results, then we should ensure that there is a runoff. Tuju said that if we consider the request then we shall be rewarded. We did not encourage him to expound the reward.”
Chebukati further claimed fellow commissioners Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang’ayasu supported the proposal from Tuju and Wako.
“I said that the will of the people must be respected and live up to the oath of office.”
Chebukati said his position was backed by commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu.
