NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 7 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has implored Kenyans to shun politicians who are already casting aspersions that the August polls will be rigged.
Commissioner Abdi Guliye 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.
The former Prime Minister has since threatened that he will boycott the polls unless a manual register is used. Ruto supports the use of an electronic register.
The duo has also clashed on the issue of the printing of ballot papers with Odinga questioning the company that was given the tender award.
His key ally Junet Mohamed claimed that Ruto’s principal in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula is working with the Greek firm awarded the tender to print ballot papers.
The Greek printing company, Inform Lykos, was allowed to commence the printing of more than 200 million ballot papers, a job that will cost taxpayers 3 billion Shillings.
Commissioner Guliye noted that it is fortunate that “Kenyans have become so simple minded to the extent that politicians have learnt how to play with their psyche so that they can keep them around themselves”.
Guliye however, assured that the Commission “will be open and we shall try to be inclusive in terms of explaining issues to people but at the end of the day all of us have a responsibility to ensure that we have a peaceful election”.
IEBC has cleared a total of 16,098 candidates to compete for political seats in the August 9 General Election.
Of these, there is one slot for the four presidential candidates, 290 seats for members of the National Assembly, 1,450 for members of County Assembly, and 47 each for the positions of governor, Woman Representative and Senator.
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