We Met Chebukati At Bomas But Not To Influence Outcome Of Presidential Elections – NSAC

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug, 30 – The National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) has refuted claims that it tried to influence the outcome of the presidential election results.

The council’s chair who is also the head of the public service Joseph Kinyua admitted to meeting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairperson Wafula Chebukati on August 15, 2022, at the Bomas of Kenya alongside Principal Administrative Secretary at the Office of the President Kennedy Kihara.

Chebukati in an affidavit claimed the two attempted to influence the outcome of the poll in a sworn affidavit ahead of the hearing of the presidential petition case challenging the announcement of United Democratic Alliance (UDA’s) William Ruto as president-Elect.

He was responding to an affidavit filed by Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance,

Others said to have been part of the delegation that visited Chebukati included, the Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, and Lieutenant General Francis Omondi Ogolla who is the Vice-Chief of Defence Forces.

The poll body chairperson said that he had received a call from Kinyua saying that the assumption of office committee would be visiting him. The Solicitor General Kihara is even said to have told Chebukati that if Ruto was declared the winner, the county would ‘burn’.

The Attorney General’s office on behalf of the Kinyua and Kihara however denied the allegation in two sworn affidavits.

The two said that the allegations were sensational in nature and would cast doubts on the capability of government institutions.

They also termed the allegations which they denied as dangerous and serious in nature.

Kihara in his affidavit said that their meeting with Chebukati was merely in the spirit of them executing their mandate.

“The NSAC had noted at the time of requesting for the meeting, it was not clear whether IEBC and the chairperson would be able to meet the said timelines, or whether they were facing any challenges, given that the public display of results had been stopped abruptly and that there was no public on the same. The delay in declaring the result of the presidential election, while lawful, was particularly long and unprecedented in Kenya’s electoral history,”

He further said that the prolonged nature of announcing the presidential election results, generated anxiety amongst Kenyans and that there were concerns that chaos would break out in parts of the country.

He vehemently denied asking the chairperson of IEBC to declare a particular candidate as the winner.

“As the leader and spokesperson of the above-named delegation, I did not at any time during the meeting urge and or implore IEBC and its Chairperson to declare results in favour of any particular candidate in the presidential election,” he claimed in court documents.