Days after President William Ruto nominated the chairman and commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revealed why Ruto allegedly rejected Charles Nyachae who was seen as a frontrunner for the chairman’s position.
In a media interview on Monday morning, May 12, Gachagua alleged that Ruto did not pick Nyachae because of the 2007 incident where he was attacked in Kisii.
“We received information from the panel that Nyachae was the top candidate to become Chairman of the IEBC. The President was given these two names, and he removed him.
I was told that the President still holds a grudge against the Abagusii community, saying that back in 2007, our late elder Nyachae attacked him in South Mugirango, and that’s why he has issues with this community and has refused to appoint Charles Nyachae,” Gachagua alleged.
Gachagua Criticizes Ruto for Not Appointing Nyachae as IEBC Chair
According to the former Deputy President, Charles Nyachae was the most suitable person to hold that position owing to his vast experience in various sectors.
“Nyachae was the Chairman of Constitutional Affairs and Implementation, he has worked as a judge in the East African Court of Justice,” Gachagua argued.
Additionally, Gachagua stated that Kenyans would have been very happy if Nyachae was nominated as the IEBC Chair because it is in the public domain that the former Chairman of the Constitution Implementation Commission has a lot of properties and cannot easily be compromised to accept bribes.
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At the same time, the former Deputy President alleged that the IEBC chairperson Erastus Edung nominated by President Ruto used to work at the former Turkana Governor’s office, Josphat Nanok, who currently works at Statehouse, and therefore is skeptical that he will exercise impartiality while delivering his mandate.
“Huyu amewekwa Chairman alikuwa mfanyikazai aliyekuwa wa Nanok. Nanok ni mfanyikazi wa Rais kwa hivyo hii IEBC watakuwa wanapangia Statehose,” Gachagua alleged.
Besides Erastus Edung, other nominated members selected by President Ruto included Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol and Fahima Araphat Abdallah.
The incident that Gachagua was referring to as the reason why Charles Nyachae was not nominated as IEBC Chair was an event that happened in Kisii in September 2007, where President Ruto, then the Eldoret North MP, attended a fundraiser where he was forcefully ejected while Roads Minister Simeon Nyachae was present.
Ruto Attacked in Kisii
At that time, Ruto was a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and part of the Pentagon group that supported Langata MP Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign, attending a fundraiser organized by Nyachae.
Ruto was accompanied by Omingo Magara, the South Mugirango Member of Parliament. Police had to fire shots into the air to disperse a group of aggressive youths who had attacked Ruto, compelling him to flee from the fundraising event in Kisii District.
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The incident signaled early signs of violent campaigning when a group of youths, clad in red shukas and with their faces painted, attacked Ruto and ODM treasurer Omingo Magara shortly after they arrived by helicopter.
The leaders quickly reboarded the aircraft, but they had already sustained injuries from clubs and metal rods thrown at them. After the assault, Ruto condemned the incident, accusing President Mwai Kibaki’s administration of orchestrating the attack.
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