For years, Moses Ledama Sunkuli worked largely out of the public eye. Then came the night Kenya’s 2022 presidential election was decided and his name entered the national conversation.
Mr Sunkuli, now the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), was at the heart of operations during one of the most contested elections in the country’s history. At the time, he was the official in charge of operations at the National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya.
As tensions rose inside the cavernous hall, Mr Sunkuli vanished.
According to officials familiar with the events, he left behind his work devices and went into hiding, fearing arrest as political pressure mounted. He resurfaced only after William Ruto had been declared president-elect.
The episode unfolded amid extraordinary claims from the then IEBC chair, Wafula Chebukati, who accused state security officers of harassing election staff. Some, he said, had been arrested without explanation. Others had disappeared.
Speaking moments before announcing the final results, Mr Chebukati laid bare the strain inside the commission.
“We have walked the journey of ensuring Kenyans get free, fair and credible elections. It’s not been an easy journey,” he said. “We have staff who have been profiled.
There is a staff member who disappeared while on duty. We have staff who have been arbitrarily arrested for no reason.”
Mr Sunkuli was widely viewed as part of the inner circle supporting Mr Chebukati during the tallying and verification of presidential results. That perception, election insiders say, made him a target as rival political camps accused the commission of bias.
When four of the seven commissioners publicly rejected the final tally, the crisis deepened. The Azimio la Umoja coalition challenged the outcome in court. The Supreme Court later upheld Mr Ruto’s victory, bringing legal closure to the dispute but leaving deep political scars.
Away from the drama, Mr Sunkuli’s background is more conventional than his sudden notoriety suggests. He was born in Kilgoris and educated at Kilgoris High School. He trained as a teacher, earning a Bachelor of Education degree from Moi University.
His career later shifted towards management and administration. He holds a diploma in business management from the Kenya Institute of Management, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi, and a Master of Business Administration in strategic management from the same institution.
His professional training also includes studies in the management of democratic elections in Africa at the University of South Africa. According to his IEBC profile, he is affiliated with professional bodies in insurance and arbitration, both in Kenya and abroad.
In December 2023, President Ruto awarded him the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW), a national honour that quietly signalled his standing within the state.
For Mr Sunkuli, the challenge is familiar but heavier this time. He is no longer the man working behind the scenes.
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