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Kenya: IEBC Officials Arrested for Refusing to Count Votes
IEBC Officials Arrested for Refusing to Count Votes
A Presiding Officer and a deputy were arrested in Kisauni Constituency, Mombasa County, for refusing to count votes.
According to reports by police, the duo was put in custody for sabotaging the vote counting process after learning that a certain candidate had garnered more votes in the elections.
Kisauni Constituency Returning Officer, Ibrahim Wario, reported at Nyali Police Station that the suspects refused to count the ballot papers at the polling station even after being implored by the agents and the Returning Officer.
Nyali Police Commander, Daniel Masamba, confirmed that the two would be charged with willfully rejecting or refusing to count ballot papers, an offence under the election Act 2016.
“The suspects are already in police custody awaiting to be arraigned in court to face relevant charges,” Masamba stated.
“They will be charged with willfully rejecting or refusing to count any ballot paper which they knew or had reasonable cause to believe such a person was entitled to vote which is an offence under the election Act of 2016,” a police report reads.
During this election period, IEBC agents have been put on the spot for misconduct.
Last week, four IEBC officials, who were arrested after attending a meeting held by a parliamentary aspirant, were fired by the commission on Monday, August 8.
The Homa Bay county IEBC returning officer, Fredrick Apopa, affirmed that the officials engaged in election malpractice by attending the meeting.
The returning officer noted that the fate of the officials rests in the hands of the police and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide on whether to take further action against them.
The four election officials were later frog-matched to the nearby police station. Some election officials at the scene, however, managed to escape from the house in due time before they were nabbed by the irate residents.
Witnesses claimed the IEBC officials were colluding with some of the candidates in order to gain an upper hand in the Tuesday, August 9 poll.
Ndhiwa sub-county police boss, Paul Rioba, stated that investigations were ongoing in order to establish the basis of the discussions. He noted that the matter would be dealt with accordingly.
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