NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 8 – President William Ruto says former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson, the late Wafula Chebukati set a high standard of leadership at the electoral body.
Speaking during Chebukati’s funeral at his Kitale farm on Saturday, the head of state lauded him for his courage and refusal to be intimidated or threatened.
“Throughout his life, he demonstrated great leadership and great integrity. Wafula was intelligent, courageous, and a man of integrity.He is a hero of our nation, he could not be confused because he was intelligent,” President Ruto said.
“When the history of our country will be written, Chebukati will not be a paragraph, or a footnote, or a chapter, there will be a whole book about Chebukati,” he stated.
Ruto also paid tribute to the late official as a devoted family man who raised his children well.
Chebukati passed away on February 20, 2025, after suffering a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment in a Nairobi hospital.
Family spokesperson Eric Nyongesa revealed that he had been battling brain cancer, which was diagnosed in April 2023, shortly after he left office.
“Because of the stage in which the cancer was, the doctors recommended that he undergo an immediate surgery, and the family, having explored many options, ensured he underwent a very successful operation,” Nyongesa said.
A seasoned lawyer with 37 years of experience, Chebukati co-founded the Nairobi-based Cootow & Associates Advocates in 2006 and resigned in 2017 to assume his role as IEBC chair.
Before his tenure at the electoral body, he was involved in politics as a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) but resigned before seeking the IEBC position.
He was married to Mary Chebukati, who was appointed Chairperson of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) in 2023, succeeding Jane Kiringai. Though a public figure, he largely kept his family life private.