Nairobi — Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officers (ROs) in the just concluded August 9 General Election are today set to file a petition at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) demanding protection.
Speaking to Capital FM News, an IEBC official who sought anonymity said the ROs have been decrying intimidation and threats before, during and after the election, a matter they want addressed by Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji urgently.
"The Returning Officers are no longer feeling safe for actually doing what they are mandated to do. It is unfortunate because they did not do anything wrong. They will file the petition at the ODPP where they want assurance that their safety and security will be guaranteed," the official said.
"It is a difficult time for IEBC staff, and we did our best in the just concluded polls, so I do not understand why our ROs are being targeted."
This comes days after Embakasi East Returning Officer Daniel Musyoka's tortured body was recovered in Kajiado after he was reported missing by IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati.
On Monday, Gichugu returning officer Geoffrey Gitobu was reported to have collapsed and died on arrival at the hospital but police have dispelled rumor's insinuating that the he was murdered for political expediency.
The Laikipia DCI Onesmus Towett said that so far there is no evidence linking his death to murder adding that a report filed at the Nanyuki police station by Gitobu's kin indicated that it was a sudden death.
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"Reports that an IEBC official was murdered are not true, the report was of sudden death of somebody who collapsed in town. No case of murder or manslaughter has been reported here," Towett stated.
The Laikipia DCI boss also asked Kenyans to wait for the postmortem which will be conducted Wednesday and stop speculating the cause of Gitobu's sudden death.
His body is lying at Nanyuki Cottage Hospital morgue.
IEBC Chairperson Chebukati was earlier forced to postpone several elections in various regions raising concerns that the commission's staff were being threatened, profiled and intimidated.
On Tuesday, Chebukati requested 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 on Monday 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 received 9 Presidential Petitions by close of business on Monday which marked the deadline for filing.
