Human Rights Defenders led by John Githongo and Kenya Human Rights Commission Executive Director George Kegoro told the police this is an opportunity for them to redeem their grim history in dealing with such cases/MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 – Eric Wainaina’s Daima song played from Uhuru Park’s Freedom Corner as grief stricken human rights groups marched to protest the murder of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ICT Manager Chris Msando.
“Daima mimi Mkenya mwananchi mzalendo (Forever I am Kenyan, a patriotic citizen),” went the tunes.
Their message was clear; deliver justice for Msando and bring the culprits to book.
Msando’s body and that of Caro Ngumbu, 21, were found stripped of clothing in a thicket in Kiambu County and were transported to the City Mortuary on Saturday at 11 am by Kikuyu Police Station officers.
Human Rights Defenders led by John Githongo and Kenya Human Rights Commission Executive Director George Kegoro told the police this is an opportunity for them to redeem their grim history in dealing with such cases.
Kegoro condemned the killing terming it as an attack on democracy going by the role Msando was playing to ensure IEBC delivers a credible election.
“Kenya has an unfortunate history of assassinations for political expediency and there is a chilling familiarity in the sequence of events,” he stated.
“It is our determined hope that the government appreciates where this country is coming from and it is imperative to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible given its potential to further destabilize an already tensed nation.”
He urged the government to ensure electoral officials are not intimidated to ensure they deliver a credible election.
Githongo on his part cautioned that this can be just another mysterious killing with no conclusive probe that will see culprits brought to book.
Speaking when he received a condolence message from the activists, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati revealed that they were working with the police to ensure all the staff including presiding officers, are safe before, during and after the polls.
“Whoever tortured him I don’t think he got anything. All our passwords are intact. We have service providers and, as it is, none of the commission employees have these passwords so let us not speculate,” Chebukati said.
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