Former IEBC Commissioner Irene Masit Flees Country After Death Threats

A former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner, Irene Masit, has fled the country after receiving death threats.

Masit, who was one of four commissioners who challenged the election of William Ruto as president, left the country on Tuesday.

The threats against Masit began after she was fired from the IEBC by a tribunal. The tribunal found that she had committed gross misconduct by attending meetings with top allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta in which they allegedly asked her to alter the election results.

Masit has denied the allegations, but she says that she has been receiving death threats from people who believe that she is responsible for Ruto’s loss.

“I have been receiving unending and chilling death threats,” Masit said in a statement. “I am afraid for my life and the lives of my family.”

Masit’s lawyer, Donald Kipkorir, said that she has reported the threats to the police, but that no action has been taken.

“We have reported the threats to the police, but they have not taken any action,” Kipkorir said. “We are now considering taking legal action against the people who are threatening her.”

Masit’s destination is unknown, but she is reportedly seeking asylum in a foreign country.

She is the second high-profile IEBC official to flee the country in less than six years. In 2017, Roselyn Akombe also fled the country after receiving death threats.

Akombe’s case is similar to Masit’s in that she was also fired from the IEBC by a tribunal and then received death threats.

Akombe has since said that she believes that the threats against her were politically motivated.

The threats against Masit and Akombe are a reminder of the dangers that IEBC officials face when they challenge the results of an election.

It is also a reminder of the need for the government to take seriously the threats against IEBC officials and to ensure their safety.