NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 7- Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioner (IEBC) Abdi Guliye has warned politicians against ethnically and politically profiling the commission’s staff, saying the move puts their lives at risk.
Speaking on Thursday, Guliye cited former ICT manager Chris Msando who was killed in 2017 just few days before the general election.
“As a commission we get concerned when we see the names of our staff being paraded on social media and being linked to certain political divide. As you remember we lost one of us in 2017 and the trend of mentioning the names of our staff for the wrong reasons is putting them at risk. Risking their lives and that of their families. I urge leaders and all political players to refrain from that,” Guliye warned.
Guliye pointed out that the current political name calling and profiling that is being witnessed ahead of the August polls has made the Commission to advise their staff especially the returning officers to limit their social interactions until August 9.
“Our staff follow the law while discharging their duties. They do everything according to IEBC Act and I can assure you most of them are honest and dedicated people. We have even urged some of them to try and reduce interactions even with their friends during this electioneering period,” Guliye said.
He assured all political players that the commission is doing its best to deliver a just, fair, credible, free and justifiable election allaying fears of a rigged poll.
Earlier, Guliye had reminded Kenyans that politicians who sense early defeat will always resort to making false accusations with a view of discrediting the exercise.
“We need to think about these issues, we need to make politics to be issue based so that we move away from this simplistic manipulation of people,” he said.
Guliye asked Kenyans not to succumb to “the hype” from politicians who are out to stir tension and violence.
“They have to create a psyche among their supporters so that they do not desert them and the best excuse to give when they lose is that the votes have been rigged,” he said.
With 32 days remaining to go to the polls, some stakeholders in the polls have questioned the credibility of the Commission to conduct a free, fair and transparent election.
The credibility of the August polls continues to be fodder for politicians during political rallies with presidential candidates Raila Odinga of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya and William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza Alliance trading barbs over the Commission’s preparedness.
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