Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati and fellow commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye officially leave office today(January 17) after serving a six-year non-renewable term.
Ahead of their exit, the commissioners on Monday launched the 2022 Post-election Evaluation Report at Safari Park in Nairobi.
They also told stories of their daunting 6-year tenure at the electoral body, with Commissioner Abdi Guliye narrating how they went into hiding after the August 2022 elections.
“It has been 6 years of trials and tribulations. We recall the clean-slate slogan in the BBI meaning the entire IEBC commission but it didn’t come to pass. We recall the Bomas drama, some objects were flying left right centre and objects even injured us.
“We even had personal tragedies, some of us had miserable tragedies inflicted on us, our families, and children but we surmounted all those trials and tribulations through courage, dedication and devotion to God,” he said.
Abdi Guliye went on to narrate how they went into hiding for three days after Chebukati announced the hotly contested presidential results.
“After the Bomas announcement of the results, I recall going into Syberia in my own country together with commissioner Boya Molu and CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan. We went into hiding, we left our phones at Bomas, sent away our security and we rode in a (Toyota)Noah to an unknown location,” he said.
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Guliye said the only contact they had with Kenyans and the world was the Television.
“We watched the TV just to check whether you were killing each other or you were celebrating. After three days of hiding, we realised Kenyans had moved on, and we said we can no longer hide,” he said.
Guliye gave a shout-out to the famous Bomas Choir that kept entertaining viewers as the Bomas drama unfolded.
“You recall the Bomas drama, I wish to thank the Bomas choir, even when objects were flying left, right and centre, some of those objects injured as physically, the choir kept on singing, I wish to thank them for that,” he said.
The commissioner said he is leaving IEBC satisfied with the contributions he made during his tenure.
“We upheld our oath of office and the rule of law at all times. As I leave office I am satisfied that I did my best for my country and my people.
“I leave IEBC stronger and better than I found it. And as I leave I have no apologies to make to anybody. I simply did my work in accordance with my oath of office that I took in 2017 and it is inevitable we have to be replaced.”
Guliye thanked Kenyans for the opportunity to serve in his capacity, further wishing the incoming commissioners the best.
“My word of advice to those who will be bearing the responsibility of replacing us with other Kenyans is that the IEBC office as commissioners is not for the faint-hearted. Please choose commissioners wisely,” he said.
“I thank the people of Kenya for the opportunity to serve them.”
