As long as some people (many times with the help of foreign agents) will want to fiddle with presidential election tallying results, the post of chairman of the electoral body will remain the most deadly public office in the country called Kenya and maybe even on the entire African continent.
As we have seen in past elections the chairman of elections in Kenya will always end up in a situation where they are confronted by public wrath or even worse a situation where because they know too much about how the election was fiddled with, somebody decides to get rid of them thus eliminating a potential loose end that could lead to exposure.
But even in the one case (2002) where the real presidential elections have been announced, the role of electoral chairman in Kenya has still proved to be a demanding and high-pressure position. Crisis-management skills and quick thinking are obviously key requirements
History shows us that after overseeing bungled elections, many of these chairmen find it impossible to move on successfully to other endeavors. One significant factor contributing to this challenge is the toll that the position seems to take on their health and even psychological well being.
One notable example is Samuel Kivuitu, who served as the chairman of the electoral body (then the ECK) during the controversial 2007 elections. After his term ended, Kivuitu's health deteriorated significantly and very rapidly. He passed away as a pale shadow of his former self.
But even more telling was the fact that the death of Kivuitu on 25th February 2013, just a week before the 2013 general elections raised eyebrows and sparked suspicion among many. Kivuitu's sudden demise came after a period of significant weight loss and reports of him suffering from multiple illnesses.
In a country where superstitions often intertwine with politics, some Kenyans couldn't help but link Kivuitu's deteriorating health to his decisions during the 2007 elections, which were marred by violence and resulted in numerous deaths. The timing of his death so close to another crucial election only added fuel to the fire of speculation. There are those who argued that he may have been bumped off because he was known to be outspoken and may have said something to attract attention to what those who were rigging that election wanted to do.
In retrospect it appears that Kivuitu may have had little choice in his decisions which were forced on him by threats and it is unlikely that he received any monetary reward for his pronouncements. The same cannot be said for others who came after him because their lavish lifestyles after leaving the electoral body may suggest some mischief.
While it is important to approach such claims with skepticism and rely on concrete evidence, it is undeniable that Kivuitu's passing under the circumstances mentioned above raises questions about the potential influence of his past actions on his health and ultimately his untimely demise.
If you ask most Kenyans they will tell you that the post of chairman of the IEBC is a dangerous one that most candidates for the job take too lightly when applying. They never come anywhere near considering the reality of the job in our current political environment. They therefore end up with blood on their hands after going against the will of the people and from then on are doomed to a life of frustration and living under a curse. Which means after chairing the Kenyan electoral body the man or woman will go absolutely nowhere after that until their day of catching their last "flight" out of the world of the living.
