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President-elect and the Kenya Kwanza coalition presidential candidate Dr. William Samoei Ruto have today Sunday, August 21, 2022, heaped praise on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati following the manner he conducted the August 9 2022 general elections amidst criticism from Raila’s Azimio wing over how he handled the general election, especially, the declaration of Presidential results.
Dr. Ruto said that Chebukati oversaw one of the most open and transparent poll processes in Kenya’s history and deserves nothing but commendation for a ‘job well done.
According to Mr. Ruto, Wafula Chebukati’s decision to direct the posting of the election results on a public portal ‘was a game changer’ and left no room for manipulation of the election outcome
This comes as the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition wing has protested the declaration of DP Ruto as the winner of the presidential poll, citing suspicion over the numbers announced, the President-elect insists the figures were available for all to tally and were never prone to outside interference.
Elsewhere, Reports have confirmed that sibling rivalry has emerged inside the president-elect’s Kenya Kwanza camp as loyalists jostle for the National Assembly’s majority leader seat.
The camp is split into two with each group backing its candidate. One group is behind Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwah while another group has thrown its weight behind Garissa township MP and former majority leader Aden Duale.
Duale was ousted as majority leader in the last Parliament at the height of president Uhuru’s political wars with his Deputy president after serving for eight years.
A senior member of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance closer to the president-elect William Ruto told Nation Africa that Kimani Ichungwah is the presumptive majority leader of the National Assembly. Another team is pushing for Dale’s leadership.
However, the fight is far from over as a decision is yet to be reached on which coalition is the majority and which one represents the minority. Banking on the coalition signed by over 20 parties, the Azimio has made it clear that it controls the National Assembly.
Team Kenya Kwanza on the other side has raided independent aspirants and other small parties within Azimio to claim a majority in the National Assembly. Legally, Mutua’s Maendeleo ChapChap, Kingi’s PAA, and UDM are still part of Azimio, and MPs elected on these parties count as Azimio.