Former members of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Vice Chair Juliana Cherera and Commissioner Irene Masit, recently disclosed their reasons for leaving the country after the elections. They shared their experiences with the National Dialogue Committee, shedding light on the security concerns that led to their departure.
Cherera expressed her deep worry for her safety and that of her children, revealing that she had received threats. She confessed that she still harbored fears about unveiling certain behind-the-scenes events of the 2022 polls, believing it wasn’t yet the right environment for her and her former colleagues to speak freely.
“My youngest child is only 7 years old, and the situation was distressing even at school. Our social life was drastically altered. It was a difficult time for my family and children. There are things we cannot discuss openly because it’s not safe,” Cherera conveyed.
Masit, on her part, explained that she felt unsafe due to accusations from her own community, alleging that she had betrayed President William Ruto, as both she and the President hail from the Rift Valley region.
“I am currently residing abroad due to security concerns. Being from Rift Valley, I faced allegations of betrayal against the President. I haven’t even returned to my home,” Masit disclosed.
She further revealed that she had encountered threats on two occasions and had to leave the country hastily, even taking a late-night flight to escape the danger. However, when asked by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah why she hadn’t reported the threats to the police, Masit clarified,
“The second threat occurred at night, and I made a hurried departure to the airport on a motorcycle. I didn’t report it to the police because I was leaving the country.”
Cherera maintained that they were essentially pushed out of the Commission, emphasizing that she resigned under immense pressure. Regarding the integrity of the 2022 elections, she contended that the announcement of the election results lacked transparency.
Cherera cited instances when she had requested the former IEBC chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, to live-stream the tallying of results, but her requests were denied. “I asked the chair to live-stream the result tallying so that Kenyans could witness the processing of results. Unfortunately, this was discontinued, and it was not a decision reached collectively within the commission,” Cherera asserted.
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