How Cherera four used to hold secret meetings at IEBC Offices, Guliye
Former IEBC commissioner, Abdi Guliye has provided more details about events that preceded the declaration of William Ruto as President-elect
Former IEBC commissioner, Abdi Guliye has provided more details about events that preceded the declaration of William Ruto as President-elect.
Speaking before Justice Aggrey Muchelule, Guliye recounted how four dissenting IEBC commissioners used to “secretly” meet at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.
Prof Guliye claimed that the four dissenting commissioners, known as the Cherera Four, used to meet frequently at former vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera’s office.
He alleged that, at some point, Ms. Cherera relocated to a new office.
“We were not bothered by the meetings at the time. Ms. Cherera had an office on the sixth floor but decided to move,” he said.
Abdi Guliye explained that electoral plans and arrangements were well attended to up until the last day of the presidential results verification process.
The chaos within the commission culminated in a press conference conducted by commissioners Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Cherop, and Justus Abonyo at Serena Hotel.
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“The incident looked like something that had been pre-arranged because, how do you come from Bomas to Serena to a ready podium and [journalists in attendance] if it was not pre-arranged?” Prof Guliye posed.
“We were part of the verification process all through and that’s why we were all shocked when they started disowning the results at Serena,” he added.
Prof Guliye said all was going well at IEBC even during the tallying and verification process until they started receiving visitors at Bomas.
He said the first visitors came at 3 am on August 15, 2022, led by former Cabinet secretary Raphael Tuju and Mr. Amos Wako, who allegedly asked them to slow down the tallying and verification process.
Later, a delegation comprising members of the National Security Advisory Council (NCAS) and led by the Principal Administrative Secretary in the Office of the President, Mr. Kennedy Kihara, arrived at Bomas at 10 am and met the commissioners at 2 pm at the CEO’s boardroom.
He claimed that the delegation threatened the commissioners that, should they declare results in favour of Ruto, the country would burn and the blood of Kenyans would be on their hands.
However, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati, two other commissioners, and chief executive officer Marjan Hussein Marjan declined to change the presidential results
“I remember saying we didn’t know the results and such a discussion wasn’t welcome. We didn’t need to discuss winning or losing as we didn’t know who was winning or losing,” Guliye claimed.
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