Chebukati returns to public limelight with tweets on polls

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has repeatedly demanded the opening of the server to audit last year's election results.

The former IEBC chair and the President Emeritus of the General Assembly of the Association of African Election Authorities, unlike his former self, has become active on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, at one point responding to tweets.

On Wednesday, Chebukati tweeted that in August 2022, Kenya held its freest, fairest and most credible election in its history.

"I recently presented a paper titled "Role of Technology in Improving the Integrity of the Electoral Process in Kenya." This video introduces the last mile test as key to achieving this feat," tweeted the former electoral agency chair.

Thursday, he tweeted: "FACT: 99.9 per cent of presidential result forms were electronically transmitted to the public portal within 24 hours of closure of polls."

The tweet seemed to have angered Dr Ekuru Aukot who fired back at Chebukati accusing him of conducting a nomination process that was choreographed

"You're fake. The nomination process was choreographed. You couldn't understand basic constitutional provisions. You were biased to most of the candidates. When history is properly written, you will be named as the worst chairman of @IEBCKenya. After all, you were not even the best during the interviews."

Five hours later, the former IEBC Chair hit back at Dr. Aukot: "You did not meet the requirements to stand as a presidential candidate in 2022. Period."

But Aukot responded: "I will repeat it here again, your understanding of law and especially the constitution is shallow. We proved you wrong in 2017 and also in 2022 when you cheaply interpreted the requirement to run for president. You simply couldn't read Art. 138. You had instructions to lock out some candidates on flimsy grounds. I am available for an open debate to give you a free and pro-bono lesson on the constitutional requirements to run for president."

Since Chebukati's exit, IEBC has been wobbling, with no commissioner and only the Chief Executive Officer is in office and can't make any tangible headway.

Two commissioners, Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu retired with the chairman in January after their term ended, while four others were suspended by President William Ruto and appointed a tribunal to investigate former IEBC vice chairperson Juliana Cherera and former commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang'aya

Nyang'aya, Cherera and Wanderi decided to resign before facing the tribunal, protesting his innocence, while Masit was removed following the recommendation of the tribunal.

Raila said former commissioners Masit and Cherera have since fled the country for fear of their lives.

The fate of the electoral agency is now in the hands of the main antagonists, Azimio la Umoja One Kenya and Kenya Kwanza Alliance whose leaders are engaged in national dialogue that will among other things discuss reconstitution of the commission.

Last week, US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman opened a can of worms when she declared that the last General Election was clean and transparent during the devolution conference in Eldoret, attracting the ire of the opposition.

Raila used the same platform to silence the envoy, saying that her comments were like rubbing salt on the wounds of Azimio followers who still believe their victory was stolen.