Wafula Chebukati, the former chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has passed away at the age of 63.
His death was confirmed by his family after he had been in a Nairobi hospital for nearly a week receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. The specific details of his illness remain private.
Chebukati, who served as IEBC chair from January 2017 until his retirement in January 2023, played a key role in overseeing Kenya’s 2017 and 2022 general elections. His tenure was marked by high-profile and contentious elections, which saw the country’s electoral process come under intense scrutiny.
In 2017, he faced the challenge of overseeing an election that was later annulled by the Supreme Court. His leadership was again tested in 2022 when his commission was divided over the handling of the election results, leading to public disagreements among commissioners.
Though some saw him as a firm leader who resisted external pressures, others criticised his handling of election disputes. Despite the controversies, Chebukati remained resolute, particularly in 2022, when the Supreme Court upheld the election results after opposition claims of rigging.
A lawyer by profession with over 37 years of experience, Chebukati also had a background in corporate law and governance.
Before his role at IEBC, he ran his own law firm and was briefly involved in politics. He was married to Mary Chebukati, who was appointed to the Commission on Revenue Allocation in 2023.
