NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 21 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has hailed the late Wafula Chebukati’s dedication to the rule of law.
Whole mourning him IEBC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hussein Marjan singled out the 2023 Election Management Awards in Lisbon, Portugal where he earned an award.
In a statement, Marjan indicated that IEBC had lost “a great leader who was full of humour, listened keenly on important issues affecting the delivery of the Commission mandate and a man measured in words, who truly knew the sensitivity of his office.”
Chebukati passed away at the age of 64 at 11 p.m. last night at Nairobi Hospital, where he had been admitted in critical condition.
Sources indicate that the former IEBC chair had been battling cancer and was receiving treatment in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the time of his passing.
Chebukati served as the chairman of the electoral commission for a full six-year term, retiring in January 2023 after overseeing the 2022 General Election.
His tenure was marked by high-stakes electoral processes, reforms, and controversy, particularly during the disputed 2017 and 2022 elections.
More details on funeral arrangements and official statements from the family and government will follow.