NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 – The father of late immediate Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati has eulogized his son as a man of integrity who had immense love for humanity.
Chebukati’s father, Wafula Chebukati senior who spoke during the funeral service of his eldest son in Kiminini, asserted that the family had accepted God’s will.
“He was a good son. God took him and he knows where he is going to place him and me and the mother we will as well follow. He was our firstborn, and he was a good son,” he said.
Chebukati passed away at the age of 64 on February 21 at Nairobi Hospital, where he had been admitted in critical condition.
The former IEBC boss succumbed to a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment, according to family spokesperson Eric Nyongesa.
Nyongesa disclosed that Chebukati was diagnosed with brain cancer in April 2023, just a few months after leaving office.
His diagnosis had remained private until the family chose to share it, offering a glimpse into the silent struggle he endured in his final months.
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.