Nairobi — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is now requesting the Inspector General of Police to investigate and bring to book individuals who attacked its personnel preparing responses for the Presidential election petitions.
A statement from the poll agency stated that the attack occurred last night at around 8:30pm when an organized group of goons wielding crude weapons attempted to attack IEBC personnel preparing responses to Presidential election petitions at a premise within Nairobi.
The Wafula Chebukati agency said the group was however repulsed by security.
“Today, Monday, 22nd August 2022 at around 8:30pm an organized group of goons wielding crude weapons attempted to attack IEBC personnel preparing responses to Presidential election petitions at a premise within Nairobi. However, they were repulsed by Security,” IEBC tweeted.
The Supreme Court had received 9 Presidential Petitions by close of business on Monday.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga who is the main petitioner accused IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati of usurping the role and functions of the commission by declaring results from the 27 constituencies that had not been tallied or verified by the commission.
The Azimio coalition wants both a re-run and a re-tallying of the August 9th Presidential Election.
The petition largely placed the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati at the centre of the dispute.
The Azimio petition indicates that Chebukati failed to tally around 140,000 votes.
As a result, Ruto “did not meet the constitutional threshold of 50% plus 1 of the valid votes cast” – a requirement for him to be declared the winner.
Apart from Odinga, other petitioners include John Njoroge Kamau, Daniel Kariuki Ngari, Juliah Nyokabi, Khalef Khalifa, Okiya Omtatah, Youth Advocacy Africa and Reuben Kigame.
Kigame, a gospel musician cum politician was also in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta before the electoral body locked him out of the race.
He argued that IEBC put in place unreasonable deadlines for presidential aspirants in order to be cleared to run, thereby locking out some aspirants.
On the other hand, Chama Cha Kazi Party leader Moses Kuria also moved to the Supreme Court to dismiss Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga ‘s petition seeking to nullify President-elect William Ruto’s win.
In his suit papers, the former Gatundu South MP cited the violence that was witnessed during last Monday’s declaration at the Bomas of Kenya as his main reason.
The seven-judge-bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome will now hear and determine the petitions within 14 days and issue their verdict by latest September 5.