Nairobi — The Election Commission chairman has sent a clear message for his critics: I am in charge and set to conduct five by-elections.

Mr Samuel Kivuitu told off the commission's critics, saying the law was clear on the matter.

He said it mandated the commission to do its duties, "unwarranted criticism notwithstanding".

Kivuitu was speaking at the Grand Regency Hotel, Nairobi, during the launch of a partnership between Institute for Education in Democracy and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Idea).

Idea runs the ACE project, an electoral knowledge network.

Following the launch of the partnership, IED becomes the regional centre which will host a website for information on election matters in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Seychelles.

Kivuitu, however, declined to react to calls for the dissolution of the commission and for the by-elections to be conducted with the help of the UN Electoral Assistance Division.

"I am not authorised to give statements unless they are approved by ECK. I shall not comment on the competence of ECK until the Kriegler Commission has presented its findings," he said.

On Monday, Kivuitu released the timetable of by-elections in Kilgoris, Emuhaya, Wajir North, Ainamoi and Embakasi on June 11.

The move elicited strong reactions from civil society and a cross-section of political leaders. The Chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Mr Maina Kiai, said ECK was under investigation and it had no "moral standing" to oversee the repeat elections.

Kiai recommended that the Government seeks UN help in the mini-elections, a proposal that has been supported by Medical Services minister, Prof Ayang' Nyong'o, among others.

Civil society has threatened to mobilise Kenyans to boycott the elections, saying ECK bungled last year's elections and thus lost the integrity to conduct future ones.