4 IEBC Commissioners Explain Why They Differed With Chebukati
The 4 Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners who disowned the results of the August 9 presidential polls on Monday have revealed the reasons that informed their decision.
Gathogo Wanjiru 
Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, the four commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit, Justus Nyang’aya, and Vice Chair Juliana Cherera claimed, among other things, that the average percentages of the results scored by the four presidential candidates exceeded the 100 percent mark casting doubt on the accuracy of the total number of votes tallied.
According to IEBC, William Ruto garnered 7,176,141 votes, which represents 50.49 percent of the total votes cast while Raila Odinga got 6,942,930 votes or 48 percent of the votes.
Roots Party candidate Prof. George Wajackoyah and his Agano Party counterpart David Mwaure amassed 61,969 (0.44 percent) and 31,987 (0.23 percent) respectively.
"This summation gives us a total of 100.01 pc. The 0.01 percent translates to approximately 142,000 votes which will make a significant difference in the final results we, therefore, decline to take ownership because the aggregation resulted in a total exceeding the percentage of 100," said Cherera.
She further stated that the results of the presidential contest were made public by IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati despite the fact that the electoral body did not announce the total number of votes cast, the total number of rejected votes, and the total tally of registered voters.
"The percentages are essentially a fraction of a whole number hence if for example the 7.17 million valid votes cast in favor of the winning candidate as announced translates to 50.49 percent then it was 50.49 of what?" she posed.
"Further take notice that Chebukati claimed that Raila attained 25pc of votes in 34 counties while Ruto attained 25 percent in 39 counties. The question is which figures in the 34 and 39 counties respectively constituted the independent variable to warrant the conclusion of 25 percent in 34 counties and 25 percent in the 39 counties for Raila and Ruto respectively."
She likewise insinuated that IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati failed to take heed of the commissioners' recommendations when they presented the said grievances to the elections body boss, going as far as saying that he designated himself the role of a returning officer.
"In the absence of a credible and verifiable explanation, we concluded that the process that went into generation of form 34c which he (Chebukati) used to declare results of presidential polls was opaque and incapable of earning our ownership and confidence," she said.
