Former Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Prof Abdi Guliye, on Monday, January 23, lifted the lid off a series of clandestine meetings hours before William Ruto was declared President-elect.
Guliye who appeared before Justice Aggrey Muchelule, recounted how four IEBC commissioners led by Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera, on several occasions, conducted secret meetings on the sixth floor of the Anniversary Towers.
The former IEBC commissioner revealed that Cherera, who used to sit on the sixth floor of Anniversary Towers, later relocated the meeting point from her office.
“We were not bothered by the meetings at the time. Cherera had an office on the sixth floor but decided to move,” noted Prof Guliye.
Guliye explained that electoral plans and arrangements were well attended 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.
“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.
According to Guliye, the chaotic events at Bomas of Kenya were well planned, noting that former Cabinet secretary Raphael Tuju and former Senator Amos Wako visited the tallying centre and asked the commissioners to 'put the interest of the country first.'
However, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati, two other commissioners and chief executive officer Marjan Hussein Marjan declined to change the presidential results
Guliye further claimed that top government officials wanted him to announce Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga as the winner.
“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.
Commissioners Wafula Chebukati, Abdi Guliye, Boya Molu and Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan hid immediately after announcing the election results in fear of their lives.
