NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 23 — Prof Abdi Guliye has said a plot to manipulate the outcome of last year’s presidential election enjoyed the backing of a faction within the electoral commission, IEBC, led by then Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera.
Guliye who retired as commissioner alongside with Chairperson Wafula Chebukati and Commissioner Boya Molu on January 17 said the proposal was presented by a team led by Vice Chief of Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Francis Ogolla.
“The four commissioners said the message needed serious attention and consideration,” Guliye told the Justice Aggrey Muchelule-led tribunal which resumed sittings.
He said Cherara, Irene Masit, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi proposed the deduction of over 200,000 votes from President William Ruto and dump them in rejected ballots to force a run off in the event the commission was unable to declare Raila Odinga the winner.
Guliye said he alongside Chebukati and Commissioner Molu reiterated that the commission would uphold the will of the people whatever the outcome.
He termed the move by the Cherera faction to storm out of the National Tallying Centre and hold a parallel press conference as pre-arranged.
“How do you come from Bomas and within a short period you have a completely set up podium at Serena Hotel complete with press crews?” Guliye posed.
His account corroborated reports of a meeting between IEBC commissioners and representatives of the country’s top security organ, the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC).
While making submissions during the presidential election petition at the Supreme Court in September 2022, Senior Counsel George Oraro who appeared on behalf of then Attorney General Kihara Kariuki confirmed the meeting but said its agenda was miscounted.
Results moderation
He dismissed claims NSAC from allegations of attempting to manipulate the outcome saying instead the security organ only intended to support IEBC in the execution of its mandate.
Oraro said Chebukati had been duly notified of NSAC’s intention to meet him at the National Tallying Centre.
He said despite Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua notifying Chebukati of the intended visit, the electoral agency’s Chairperson kept the NSAC delegation waiting for four hours.
“When the NSAC delegation arrived at Bomas, nobody was at hand to receive them. They waited for four hours,” Oraro told the court presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
NSAC officials
Chebukati had told the court the NSAC delegation which included Principal Administrative Secretary at the office of the President Kennedy Kihara, Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and Lieutenant General Francis Omondi Ogolla (Vice Chief of Defence Forces) asked him to alter results of the election to force a run-off in the event he was unable to declare Raila Odinga the winner.
Chebukati said NSAC cautioned that if he declared William Ruto as the President – Elect, “the country is going to burn.”
Kihara is reported to have indicated that skirmishes between the Kikuyu and Luo communities had already started “in several slums including Kibera and Mathare on the basis of alleged ‘betrayal by the kikuyu’.”
“The second part of the message from the NSAC delegation was that if we cannot announce Raila Odinga as the outright winner, then we must ensure that there is a runoff,” Chebukati submitted at the time.
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