Wafula Wanyonyi Chebukati, the former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson was a family man.

This came out clearly during his funeral service at his Sabata home in Saboti, Trans Nzoia County, when his son, Emmanuel, read out his eulogy to the hundreds of mourners.

Beyond his professional achievements, Emmanuel said that Chebukati was a devoted husband and father.

Chebukati met his wife, Mary, an accountant working at the Ministry of Finance while in Mombasa where she was undertaking a training in 1988.

What started out as him giving her legal advice ended up in love and courtship, with numerous phone calls to Nairobi where she had returned.

When he was courting Mary, Chebukati would catch biweekly flights to visit her in Nairobi. “It took many dinners before he finally gathered the courage to propose to her. He cherished his wife. They went on to have three children, a daughter Rachel and two sons Jonathan and Emmanuel,” his eulogy read in part.

Emmanuel eulogised his father as a hands on dad;

“As true as he was to his profession, he was equally a dedicated dad. He always enjoyed the holiday season with family, as he would make it a point to take his family on holiday every Christmas period without fail,” Emmanuel said.

He added: “His family was his anchor, providing him with the strength and support he needed to carry out his duties. Chebukati found solace in his family.”

In her tribute, Mary noted that in the early days of their marriage, Chebukati would drop her at her workplace and pick her up in the evening.

“Every morning, you would drop me at the district treasury where I worked and pick me up in the evening. I recall on one of those days as a young married couple, we had a disagreement, and I gave you the silent treatment on the drive to work,” she recalled.

Chebukati, who retired as the IEBC chairperson in January 2023, will be laid to rest today.