Odinga threatens to boycott fresh poll if IEBC not restructured
NAIROBI: Opposition candidate Raila Odinga has threatened to boycott Kenya’s fresh presidential election ordered by the Supreme Court if the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is not restructured as he has demanded,
Odinga, the flag-bearer of the National Super Alliance (Nasa) has demanded that the IEBC must address issues of election credibility arising from the Aug 8 general election by suspending four top secretariat members including its chief executive officer, Ezra Chiloba.
The result of the Aug 8 presidential election was nullified by the court after allowing the petition by Odinga that there were irregularities in the compilation of ballot papers. The results of the parliamentary and county assembly elections were not affected.
Speaking after meeting Nasa grassroots leaders, Raila said there is no way an electoral commission which conducted a ‘sham election’ can oversee the fresh presidential election scheduled for Oct 17, claiming that top IEBC officials had been compromised.
Raila has demanded that those who bungled the election must be brought to book saying there is need for major reforms at the polls body. He argues that IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati had acknowledged that there were illegalities through his letter to Chiloba demanding that action be taken against those found guilty of misconduct.