We are ready to conduct poll, IEBC says

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, previously a divided house, on Wednesday put on a united front to go on with Thursday’s fresh presidential election as scheduled, saying it was technically prepared and its security concerns had been adequately addressed.

Commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati, flanked by five commissioners, declared they were ready for the election, which opposition Nasa leader Raila Odinga has boycotted.

“Based on the assurances given to this commission by the relevant authorities and the security agencies, based on the progress that has been made in the commission, the election will go on tomorrow as scheduled,” Mr Chebukati told journalists at Bomas of Kenya, which has been gazetted as the National Tallying Centre.

VOTING MATERIALS
Mr Chebukati said the commission will not hesitate to postpone the election in some areas if it felt the security of its employees, or the holding of the poll, was in danger.

“In cases where there will be problems of voting, and the delivery of materials, the polling officer will have a right to inform us and the election can be postponed to another date ... The polling officer can call off the election,” Mr Chebukati said.

The IEBC said it had sent election materials to most constituencies countrywide, but with reports of disruption of distribution of poll materials in parts of Nyanza.

POLICE BRUTALITY
Mr Odinga withdrew from the election but his name has been retained on the ballot as one of the eight candidates in the fresh poll ordered by the Supreme Court after the former Prime Minister successfully petitioned President Uhuru Kenyatta’s August 8 victory.

Mr Odinga on Wednesday asked his supporters to “pray away from the polling stations” and return as a national resistance movement.

In his press conference, Mr Chebukati castigated the police for shooting at protesters in past instances of demonstrations by Nasa supporters.

“Fellow Kenyans, excessive use of force by the police is no illusion,” Mr Chebukati said.

“It is a dark reality that some people have unfortunately had to experience in recent times.

"When the very people we are expected to run to in times of trouble are the ones attacking us, then as a country, we are at our lowest.”

DEMONSTRATIONS
Mr Chebukati was accompanied by IEBC vice-chairperson Consolata Nkatha Bucha, and commissioners Abdi Guliye, Paul Kurgat, Margaret Mwachanya and Boya Molu.

The vocal Dr Roselyne Akombe last week fled to New York where she resigned, arguing that, as it stands, the commission could not guarantee a credible poll.

Mr Chebukati said that in addressing safety concerns, he had asked the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and the Inspector-General of Police to assure him that peaceful protesters will not be shot during the polls.

“The commission has received a guarantee from IG Joseph Boinnet that peaceful and lawful expression of human rights will never be treated as a crime in this country; but that the sacrosanct security of life and property is also lawfully upheld,” Mr Chebukati said.

The Ipoa, he said, had promised to investigate and take action against officers who shoot at unarmed and peaceful protesters.

PRESIDING OFFICERS
Mr Chebukati said that Wednesday's judgment by High Court Judge George Odunga that the appointment of returning officers did not follow set procedure because IEBC did not send the list to political parties does not affect the poll, as the judge did not quash their appointment.

“It should be noted that the commission has deployed the same officials gazetted for the August 8 polls; which list had been shared with all the parties."

The commission said it had reconfigured the 45,000 results transmission kits – 40,883 for each polling station and three backups in each of the 1,450 wards – to send only the scanned results declaration form, excluding the text format.