Chaos as man disrupts Chebukati’s meeting with presidential aspirants

A man caused chaos during a meeting between Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati and presidential candidates in the August elections on Wednesday.

During the consultative meeting convened to discuss the commission’s preparedness for the upcoming polls, the man, bearing an illegible placard, dashed before where Mr. Chebukati was seated and interrupted his speech.

“... I will not vote again, what I want is freedom, justice…” he told the commission's chair before security whisked him away.

“In the land of our fathers…” he was heard shouting.

IEBC invited Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya leader Raila Odinga, Deputy President William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza Alliance, George Wajakoyah of Roots Party and Agano Party’s David Mwaure to address key concerns raised over electoral preparedness.

Among them is the issue of printed register of voters, election results path and harmonising of campaign schedules for presidential candidates ahead of the August 9 race.

Mr. Odinga had raised concerns over the commission’s decision not to use the manual vozer registers as a complementary mechanism to electronic identification of voters.

At the same time, 6 organisations have moved to court to challenge the electoral body’s decision to do away with the use of the manual voter register.

Both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza are against the phasing out of the physical register for voter identification in favour of the biometric system.

They argue that ballot papers can be printed in excess to manipulate the outcome and they want an assurance that the polls will not be bangled.

Also in the list of the prudential aspirants’ concerns is the effectiveness of modem satellites, which IEBC says it will use to transmit results from areas without 3G and 4G connectivity.

The Azimio coalition party on Tuesday wrote to the IEBC over its preparedness, seeking copies of the voter register, a list of all the polling stations, their geo reference and details of the connectivity to either 3G or 4G network, among others.