“Raila should admit that Chebukati is a hero whose involvement in Kenya’s elections will live on in history”, lawyer Githu Muigai informed the Supreme Court on Thursday, September 1.
Supreme court heard that Chebukati, who has extensively been accused of bungling the August 9, 2022, general election, is an outstanding man whose only wrong “was doing the right thing.”
“At an appropriate time when all this is over, I entertain no doubt that an independent group of people looking at the work that Chebukati has done for our nation will recognize him as one of our outstanding heroes in the history of our nation,” former Attorney General Githu Muigai who is representing Chebukati, submitted.
Chebukati, who declared Ruto the winner on August 15, is facing legal challenges after Raila Odinga filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an annulment of the presidential results, alleging tampering with the election.
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However, the Commission maintained that the 2022 election was among the most impartial it has ever presided over in the annals of Kenya’s electoral history.
“This election was conducted as most International observers observed. It was the fairest. All observers concluded that it was an open, transparent election,” Muigai said.
IEBC’s chair argued in court that the former prime minister was undertaking a witch hunt.
He stated that his petition was “full of generalities, innuendos, and hypothecations.”
Muigai cited previous elections in which Odinga had targeted the respective Chairpersons of the electoral body after losing, noting that “he has never allowed them to live office in peace.”
Lawyer Githu Muigai regretted that Odinga had leveled accusations against Chebukati without producing “any shred of evidence” and focused on being “speculative and vindictive.”
“The vilification against this gentleman goes beyond anything we have ever had in this Courthouse. It was personalized. It was vindictive. It intended to lower his standing in our community and the legal profession. It was unwarranted,” Muigai said.
Court was also told that the four commissioners who disowned the presidential results were mischievous, with Muigai questioning their last-minute decision to break away from the Commission.
“We have an election conducted up to the 11th and a half hour, and everybody is on board. Everybody is on board. The public can see them declaring the results. What is this that happens within the half hour? Muigai posed.
