Brain cancer and two surgeries, Wafula Chebukati's life after IEBC

Wafula Chebukati’s family has broken its silence, explaining to Kenyans the deceased’s life after exiting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

This comes amidst mixed reactions expressed by Kenyans following the announcement of Chebukati’s death.

In an official statement on Monday, family spokesperson Eric Nyongesa said Chebukati was diagnosed with brain cancer in April 2023, just three months after leaving office.

According to John Hopkins medicine website, a person with a brain tumor experience headaches, seizures or convulsions, difficulty thinking, speaking or finding words, personality or behavior changes, weakness, numbness or paralysis in one part or one side of the body, loss of balance, dizziness or unsteadiness, loss of hearing, vision changes, confusion and disorientation and memory loss

As a result, he underwent two surgeries, since the tumour kept recurring. At the time of his death, Nyongesa told the media that the family was contemplating on whether to go for a third surgery.

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When he first got his first diagnosis, Nyongesa explains, he was flown to Germany for treatment up to June of the same year.

He was back to his normal routine and living a normal life.

In April 2024, the tumour recurred and he was flown back to Germany, this time he was treated for 4 months and he came back in August.

He stayed for slightly over three months when the tumour recurred for the third time.

He was hospitalized from around mid-December 2024 up to early January when he was taken home as the family considered exploring other options.

Nyongesa says the family was not sure whether to take him to a third surgery or not.

On February 12, he visited the hospital for assessment and was diagnosed with chest complications.

Three days later, he was admitted to the intensive care Unit.

He was there for five days and on the fifth night he suffered a cardiac arrest and passed on at 11:35 pm.

Nyongesa has clarified that he was not ‘clinically dead’ as had been alleged by social media users.

The family have planned for an autopsy to be conducted Tuesday or Wednesday.

He will be buried in the Sabata area of Kitale, Trans Nzoia on Saturday, March 8.