IEBC Commissioner Irene Masit says only Wafula Chebukati knew about 3 Venezuelans accompanying election materials

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissions (IEBC) Commissioner Irene Masit has revealed that only the Commission’s boss, Wafula Chebukati, knew that the three Venezuelans were accompanying the election materials to Kenya in June.

Masit said that in her response affidavit to the presidential election petition filed by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga and his deputy Martha Karua at the Supreme Court challenging William Ruto’s win.

According to Masit’s affidavit, Chebukati did not disclose to them in any way that the three Venezuelans that were arrested upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) would come into the country with the election materials.

“It is not by surprise that in the month of July, 2022 when the nation was struck by the news of Venezuela nations Salvador Javier Sosa Suarez, Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Jose Grecorio Castellanos, a matter that is now in the public domain, arrested having arrived in the country with election materials none of the commissioners was aware of their coming nor possession of election materials but the chairman, Wafula Wanyonyi Chebukati,” Masit’s affidavit read.

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“The chairperson indeed went out public to defend the foreign nationals when the commission did not even expect election materials at the time thereby depicting the true person of the chairperson of the IEBC singly usurping the powers of the Commission albeit illegally and unconstitutionally.”

Masit emphasised she was unaware of the presence of the three Venezuelan nationals and the Commission’s chairman, Chebukati did not inform the other commissioners and it raised concerns he was the only person who knew about them.

“I was not aware of the coming of the foreign nationals with election materials and the same had not been brought to the attention of the commissioners either at the plenary or through any other form of communication and it was surprising as it was suspicious that the chairperson was the only person aware of their arrival,” Masit said.

Masit also dismissed Chebukati’s claims that she, alongside IEBC vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, Justus Nyang’aya and Francis Wanderi tried to prevail over him to force a run-off in the presidential election.

She said Chebukati’s claims were aimed at discrediting them after they staged a protest against his decision to announce what they termed as unverified presidential election results.