Panic has gripped presidential aspirants’ camps over latest fishy happenings in institutions seen to be key in managing elections. There are murmurs the changes are meant to tilt the 2022 presidential race in favour of Raila Odinga. Insiders familiar with the developments revealed that for the last couple of weeks, strategists in the camps of William Ruto, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi are suspecting a predetermined presidential poll outcome where they are only assured of a loss. The role of deep state and the provincial administration with Uhuru Kenyatta ordering his cabinet secretaries to campaign for Raila is the red flag. Uhuru is said to be ready to hit his deputy below the belt by trying to force Mount Kenya leaders associating with the second in command to troop back to the handshake team, fearing major losses at the polls.
The president dealt another blow on the deputy president when he appointed former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chief executive Ezra Chiloba as the Director-General of Communications Authority of Kenya for a renewable four-year term.
CAK is key in the elections since besides regulating political content that is aired on Kenya’s TV, radio, newspapers and digital platforms, it plays a crucial role in monitoring the electronic transmission of the presidential results. Chiloba, who takes over from Francis Wangusi whose term ended in August 2019, is said to be a state security agent and will now head one of the bodies that will be key in the electronic transmission of presidential votes across the country. The camps fear that just like in the 2017 elections where the CAK was allegedly used by Jubilee to manipulate the elections according Nasa, the same will be repeated next year.
The sources revealed that with Chiloba manning the electronic transmission of the presidential votes, there are fears in other camps the results will be computer generated in favour of Raila or the candidate the deep state will be backing for presidency. Remember, Chiloba is an appointee of the state and his support is to the appointing authority. In fact, word has it, powerful deep state operatives who worked with Chiloba during the 2017 controversial presidential polls were instrumental in his new job as a reward. There are worries also over the naming of another system friendly figure, Anne Nderitu, as the Registrar of Political Parties. The registrar is a key cog of the elections as the holder keeps the political parties data, including the membership. They are also reading mischief in the appointment of another system friendly figure, Immaculate Wambui Kassait, wife of Tiaty MP William Kamket and a close ally of Baringo senator Gideon Moi, as the data commissioner.
Besides storing all the data of all Kenyans, the data commissioner office also carries out inspections of public and private entities to evaluate the processing of personal data and compliance to the data protection Act, 2019. Kassait now has all the records of the registered voters and there are fears the same will be used to tilt the presidential race in favour of Raila. Before her appointment, Kassait served as the director of voter registration and electoral operations at IEBC for nine years where there are claims she helped the Jubilee Party to rig the polls. For four years, she also worked as the programme manager at the Institute for Education in Democracy and also worked as the programme officer at Fida Kenya. Another appointment that sent shockwaves in the camps is that of former electoral commission ICT director James Muhati as Huduma Kenya chief executive officer. Muhati resigned from the IEBC where he was in charge of the Information and Communication Technology docket to take over the Huduma job.
He was a key figure in the manipulating the presidential vote in 2017 general election that resulted in the Supreme Court cancelling the results. Muhati had taken over after the Nasa friendly figure, Chris Musando, was killed. As Huduma boss, he will be in charge of crucial voters’ data. Insiders added that there is mischief in the appointment of the four new IEBC commissioners. They are Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Abonyo who took over from Consolata Nkatha who was the vice chairperson, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya and Roselyn Akombe after they left. The four, who were chosen from among 36 Kenyans interviewed to fill the positions vacant at IEBC, joined chairperson Wafula Chebukati and commissioners’ Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu, also considered pro-system, in office. Remember Chebukati is a presidential appointee hence answerable to the institution in power not outsiders. In fact analysts say, by virtue of the president being given three names to pick from to chair IEBC, the institution chair becomes answerable to him and hence ceases to be independent.
Insiders revealed that what has sent shockwaves is the close relations between Cherera, who has been appointed IEBC vice-chairperson following her unanimous election, with Mombasa governor Hassan Joho. Before being appointed, Cherera worked as the chief officer in Joho’s administration. Fear is live that she was picked as IEBC commissioner to do Raila’s bidding. Already, Joho has sent signals he will back Raila in the presidential race. Cherera, a teacher by profession, replaced Nkatha who deputised Chebukati. Another appointment that has sent shockwaves is that of Francis Wanderi, a close ally of former president Mwai Kibaki. Wanderi was mentored by late Kieni MP Munene Kairu who was Kibaki’s chief financier before his death in 1998. The former chairperson of Export Processing Zones has strong links with the Kibaki family and there are fears he was planted by Mount Kenya Foundation tycoons at IEBC to safeguard their interests. The Kibakis, just like the Mois, are said to be backing Raila for presidency.
More mischief is read in the appointment of Masit as IEBC commissioner. To start with, Masit unsuccessfully sought the Jubilee Party ticket in the Elgeyo/Marakwet woman representative race in 2017 elections but lost to Jane Kiptoo who was the deputy president’s favourite. Masit was more popular on ground than Kiptoo. In fact, word has it, if Masit was in 2022 women rep race, the seat was hers for taking. Masit, sources added, is also a close ally of Gideon Moi, the Baringo senator of late and the fear is, she is at IEBC to take care of the Kenya’s second president’s family’s interests. The Moi family is expected to back Raila for presidency. The last commissioner, Abonyo from Homa Bay county, is associated with Raila, who is said to have bulldozed his appointment. It is on these grounds that Ruto, Mudavadi and Kalonzo are silently complaining that all the IEBC commissioners – Chebukati, Cherera, Guliye, Molu, Wanderi, Masit and Abonyo – are all pro-system and are likely to do the deep state’s bidding.
What is further sending shivers is the realisation Chebukati relationship with new Defence cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa. Wamalwa is backing Raila presidency just like his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang’i. Unknown to many, it is Wamalwa who helped Chebukati secure the IEBC chairmanship slot at a time Ruto was pushing for lawyer Tukero ole Kina who had emerged top in the interviews for the job. In the interviews to replace the Isaac Hassan team, Chebukati had emerged third after ole Kina and lawyer Lucas Naikuni. But when the three names – ole Kina, Naiukuni and Chebukati – were submitted to Uhuru, Wamalwa rushed to State House where he persuaded Uhuru to pick his Bukusu kinsman, Chebukati, assuring him he would do the deep state’s bidding in the 2017 elections and true to the CS’s assurance, Chebukati did not disappoint. Besides being Bukusu sons, Wamalwa and Chebukati also hail from Trans Nzoia county and are members of the Kitale Club where they meet when they travel to their rural area.
The sources revealed that the change of heart by Chebukati to back Raila was the reason the ODM brigade stopped demanding his removal as IEBC chair. The Orange Party surprised its supporters when it made a big U-turn on its push to effect changes at the IEBC, which included Chebukati’s removal. Two weeks ago, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said they were no longer interested in pushing for changes in the commission and instead called on the electoral body to concentrate on delivering a free and fair general election next year. Sifuna added the party had nothing against the Chebukati-chaired commission. Interestingly, days earlier the ODM youth wing had given Chebukati 14 days to resign from office or be kicked out. In a statement, the youths said they had lost confidence in IEBC over a range of issues, including the accusations of Chebukati for siding with Ruto in the upcoming 2022 general election.
The youth said Chebukati was the first chair of an election commission in Kenya and the second in the world to chair an election that was nullified, hence, making him unfit to conduct the next general election. They further said that the previous election was the most expensive election, claiming that it cost Sh2,540 per registered voter, surpassing the global requirement of a maximum Sh500. The party also stated that Chebukati was allocated Sh130 million to buy Internet data bundles while the electoral commission only used Sh500,000, questioning the whereabouts of the remaining amount. But that is now water under the bridge as Chebukati has mended fences with Raila. Insiders added that Wamalwa has also facilitated a truce between Chebukati and Chiloba. The two were had engaged in a battle of supremacy when they served as chair and CEO at IEBC respectfully. Chebukati and Chiloba are Luhyas and all the three hail from Trans Nzoia county.
There are reports the three have been spotted at Kitale Club having drinks. Before he made an about-turn, sources revealed, Chebukati was allied to Ruto who was pushing him to give a lucrative tender for the management of the 2022 elections to Smart Metic, a company whose credibility was in question after mishandling and rigging of Uganda elections. Wamalwa appointment to plum CS Defence in the recent cabinet mini reshuffle had the blessings of both Uhuru and Raila. Ruto had even travelled to Uganda to secretly meet the Smart Metic officials to strike a deal. But early last month Ruto suffered a major blow after the procurement review board cancelled the electoral agency’s international tender for the supply, delivery and maintenance of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System for the 2022 polls.
The Public Procurement Administration and Review Board ruled that the tender for the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of Kiems and hardware equipment and accessories was illegally awarded. In its ruling, PPARB directed IEBC to prepare a fresh tender document within 30 days. With the cancellation, the tender will now be bagged a pro-system firm, hence shuttering Ruto’s dream of being the fifth president of the Republic of Kenya. By last week, word had it, acting IEBC acting CEO Marjan Hussein would land the slot after interviews are done. Marjan is a Chebukati spanner boy and for what is said to be continuity as Kenyans have less than one year, Marjan will be preferred rather than a new face. Other sources say, Chiloba was still legally in office and his new appointment was meant to curtail moves to stop IEBC operations using the judiciary.
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