Ruto, Gachagua show up late for crucial IEBC meeting
UDA presidential flagbearer Deputy President William Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua skipped Tuesday, June 29 2022 meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
IEBC hosted presidential candidates at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club in Nairobi for consultation on various issues touching on the August 9 polls.
Thorny issues touching on the printing of ballot papers, voter register took centre stage at the meeting held by IEBC with the presidential candidates.
Ruto, Gachagua no show
Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua of Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition party, George Wajackoya of Roots party and Agano party's Waihiga Mwaure attended the IEBC meeting while Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua were no show.
The Kenya Kwanza presidential flagbearer and his running mate were represented by Turkana governor Josphat Nanok and UDA Secretary-General Veronica Maina.
Nanok explained that Ruto and Gachagua missed the IEBC meeting because of confusion in the schedule issued by IEBC.
"Josphat Nanok is my name I am the chief agent for UDA Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate who is not here with us with his running mate because of a schedule you had done earlier remember very well your letter yesterday changing the timing from afternoon to morning was received by us very late and we even wrote to you to reshedule the time and I think in the absence of a response from you we were forced to come and represent. But he may catch us later," Nanok said.
However, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati stressed that the meeting was scheduled for the morning and not in the afternoon as Nanok claimed.
"There was no afternoon session, the letter of invitation talked of 9 am so there was no afternoon session," Chebukati said.
Ruto and Gachagua later arrived at the venue about 40 minutes later. It was reported that the two had another meeting in Tharaka Nithi.
