Emmanuel Chebukati, one of the late former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati’s sons, revealed close ties they enjoyed together as a family.
Speaking at CITAM Karen on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, where family, friends, and colleagues gathered to pay their last respects, Emmanuel disclosed that Chebukati treasured holidays.
He told the mourners that his late dad had made it a habit to take the entire family on holiday vacations. In their household, Christmas was among the most valued festive holidays, which allowed the late IEBC boss to spend more time with them.
Besides creating time to bond with family, Emmanuel detailed that Chebukati was a hands-on dad who did not allow his busy schedule to come in between his fatherhood role.
“Chebukati was a hands-on dad. As true as he was to his profession, was he to his role as dad. He always enjoyed the holiday season with his family, as he would make it a point to take his family on a holiday during the Christmas period,” Emmanuel Chebukati stated.
“Chebukati found solace in his family,” he added while explaining how the family supported him throughout his career.
All his three children, a daughter and two sons, fondly remembered him for building close family ties despite having a busy career life.
Journey into the legal world
Emmanuel also allowed mourners to get a broader perspective on what Chebukati stood for. He noted that Chebukati’s career was grounded in honesty.
Emmanuel, a cloud security engineer with experience in systems auditing, application security, and secure cloud deployment, indicated that throughout his 20-year stint of running Wanyonyi and Advocates, the former IEBC boss thrived to protect the vulnerable and hold the powerful accountable.
“Chebukati’s journey into the legal world was not just a career but a calling. Immediately upon his graduation in 1986, he opened his law firm, Wanyonyi and Advocates, which he managed for 20 years.”
“He saw the law as a perfect tool to bring about change and to uphold the principles of fairness and equity. He was a principled lawyer and believed that a client should be told the truth from the onset. Honesty was his mantra,” Emmanuel told those who gathered for the memorial.
“To him, the law was not just a set of rules, but his role was to protect the vulnerable and hold the powerful accountable,” he added.
He also praised his tenure at IEBC, noting that he managed two key elections despite encountering a myriad of challenges.
“His tenure was not without controversy. He was scrutinized, faced criticism, and navigated disagreements, yet he remained steadfast. He firmly believed in the rule of law, and his courage was admirable,” he explained.
The late IEBC boss passed away on February 20, 2025, at the age of 63, while undergoing treatment at a local hospital for a cancerous brain tumor.
Chebukati will be buried on March 8, 2025, at his Kitale farm.