Did Chebukati oversee a flawed election? Morara Kebaso highlights Juja vote anomaly

Morara Kebaso, a Gen Z Civic Educator and Inject Party Leader, has brought fresh concerns about the integrity of the 2022 general election results, particularly in Juja Constituency.

In a TikTok video shared via his X handle, Kebaso highlighted a serious miscalculation in the vote count that suggests possible manipulation of figures.

He pointed out that the total number of votes counted in Juja exceeded the sum of valid votes and rejected ballots, raising suspicions of electoral fraud.

According to official data from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Juja had 134,638 registered voters.

Out of these, 86,256 were valid votes, while 462 were rejected ballots. Simple arithmetic would suggest that the total votes should not exceed 86,718, yet the final tally given for the constituency was 95,256 votes.

This means there were an extra 8,538 votes that did not belong to either category, a major discrepancy that raises questions about the authenticity of the results.

Kebaso’s analysis suggests that this was not a minor clerical error but rather a deliberate manipulation of numbers to alter the election outcome.

His revelation has come at a time when the country is still dealing with the aftermath of the highly contested 2022 elections.

Many Kenyans, particularly the youth, have continued to express their frustrations with the electoral system, which they believe is compromised.

The passing of former IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has not erased the controversies surrounding the last two elections, as public confidence in the process remains low.

For years, there have been claims that votes are tampered with in various ways, including ballot stuffing, result alteration, and system manipulation, and the Juja case appears to support these fears.

Kebaso’s findings have ignited fresh discussions about electoral justice and the need for a more transparent system. His video has gained traction online, with many Kenyans expressing their concerns about whether the country will ever have truly free and fair elections.

Some believe that these discrepancies are proof that past elections have been rigged, while others argue that such issues should have been addressed in court immediately after the elections.

However, given that the IEBC’s credibility was already questioned during the elections, many Kenyans are not surprised by the new revelations.

The Juja case is not the first instance where election results have been disputed in Kenya. Similar concerns were raised in the 2017 elections, where irregularities led to the Supreme Court nullifying the presidential results.

Even in 2022, opposition leaders rejected the results, citing rigging and manipulation. Kebaso’s findings add to a growing list of grievances about the IEBC’s handling of elections, making it clear that electoral reforms are needed if the country is to avoid similar controversies in the future.

Despite the evidence presented by Kebaso, it remains to be seen whether authorities will take any action.

In the past, concerns over election irregularities have often been dismissed or swept under the rug, with little to no accountability for those responsible. Many Kenyans are skeptical that anything will change, as previous efforts to reform the electoral system have been met with resistance from those in power.

However, with more young people like Kebaso actively engaging in civic education and demanding transparency, the push for electoral justice may continue to gain momentum.

The question now is whether Kenya’s electoral system can be reformed to prevent such irregularities in future elections.

The credibility of any democracy depends on the trust people have in the voting process, and if such discrepancies continue to emerge, the country risks losing faith in its democratic institutions.