Police search for missing IEBC manager Msando

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission data centre and infrastructure manager Chris Msando addresses reporters at Anniversary Towers on July 6, 2017. He has gone missing. FILE PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Msando replaced James Muhati, who was sent on a 30-day compulsory leave on May 27.
  • Mr Chebukati said the commission is working closely with police and family members to establish his whereabouts.

A senior information, communication and technology manager at the electoral agency has disappeared.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said Christopher Chege Msando could not be reached since Friday evening and urged calm as police try to trace his whereabouts.

Mr Msando, who was recently appointed to act as the Data Centre and Infrastructure manager was last seen at the IEBC’s Anniversary Towers offices at 10pm on Friday.

POLICE
His family reported at the Embakasi Police Station that Mr Msando’s four mobile phones were either off or went unanswered and his vehicle, a grey Land Rover Discovery, is also missing.

His wife, Eva Auma, reported the disappearance at the police station on Sunday.

“It has been reported by Mrs Eva Elsa Auma Buyu c/o Nyayo Estate and wife to Mr Christopher Chege Msando, who is manager, ICT Systems and Data Centre Support at IEBC, that Mr Msando has been missing since Friday the July 28, 2017,” the report in the Occurrence Book reads.

RIGGING
By virtue of his position, Mr Msando could be holding sensitive information on logs to the Kenya Integrated Electoral Management Systems (Kiems), which will ensure that rigging doesn’t take place in this year’s elections.

Kenyans took to social media to question his disappearance considering that it is only a week to elections.

AUDIT
One of them, Mwero Mangale, wondered why the incident was reported on Sunday when the ICT manager allegedly disappeared on Friday.

Mr Msando replaced James Muhati, who was sent on a 30-day compulsory leave on May 27 after failing to cooperate with the audit department.

In a statement sent to newsrooms, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the commission is working closely with police and family members to establish his whereabouts.

SEARCH
Mr Chebukati said the missing official’s last communication was a text message to one of his colleagues at around 3am on Saturday.

“The content of the SMS suggests that he was conscious and fully aware of his itinerary for that day.

"The commission together with family members is working closely with the police to establish his whereabouts,” Mr Chebukati said, adding that the commission would issue a more comprehensive statement after establishing more facts about the incident.

INTERVIEW
Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet said that the officer's disappearance was being investigated and that the police were doing their best to find him.

“We are aware that a report was made and considering that this is a crucial moment, we are trying our best to locate him. We are trying to trace his movement,” Mr Boinnet said.

Earlier, before he disappeared, Mr Msando appeared on a TV station to highlight the commission’s election preparedness and its plans to ensure that the elections are credible.

CAR TRACKING

A close friend of Mr Msando's revealed to the Nation that he had received information from a vehicle-tracking company that his vehicle was seen on Thika Road and later on Mombasa Road.