The widow of former IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati, Mary, has relived the nail-biting moments that unfolded as her husband prepared to announce the 2022 presidential results.
Speaking during the funeral of Chebukati in Kiminini, Mary recalled how she frantically tried to reach her husband when chaos erupted at the Bomas of Kenya on August 15, 2022.
Mary said her calls to a number of people, including Chebukati, went unanswered during the melee.
“I was lucky to get bishop David Oginde, whom I asked if my husband was okay. I reminded him that he was a man of God and should, therefore, tell me the truth. He assured me that my husband was fine,” she said.
There was a fracas as Chebukati arrived to announce the presidential results.
People threw chairs around as others started fighting each other, but police tried to calm the situation.
Mary recalled that she even called Citizen TV journalist Sam Gituku to find out about the situation at Bomas when the chaos started.
Earlier, there was a stand-off between IEBC Commissioners at the Bomas over the presidential results.
Chebukati had arrived at the Bomas of Kenya even as four
other commissioners conducted a parallel press conference at a hotel in
Nairobi to dispute the results.
The anti-riot police officers formed a shield around Chebukati as gadgets and other equipment were thrown at him.
Mary recalled that earlier in the day, she had requested ACK Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit to come to her house to pray for Chebukati.
She requested this after Sapit called the home to ask Chebukati to assist with gate clearance of religious leaders at Bomas.
“In a moment, 14 religious leaders had arrived, and I asked them to pray for my husband. I offered them tea as he was dressing up, and after prayers, there was a procession to Bomas,” she remembered.
Mary recalled that in the evening, Chebukati told her the prayers provided a divine intervention.
“When he came home, he told me he saw a man point a gun at him, but the security pushed him down and took him away,” she said.
