The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati has continuously expressed confidence that his team is equal to the task and will conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
However, just days before Kenyans cast their ballots, all indications show that trouble is brewing at the electoral agency, which seems to be creating a leeway for disputable polls.
An audit report by KPMG has revealed that 14 shadowy Returning Officers had access to IEBC’s Integrated Database Management System (IDMS) and have been running it.
More shocking is the revelation that IEBC’s digital voter register had more than two million mysterious voters who used duplicate or fake documents to register, while some had been registered twice in past elections.
This latest exposé and previous incidents, such as that of the three Venezuelans arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in possession of elections stickers, all throw doubt on the integrity of the electoral process and IEBC’s commitment to execute its mandate.
If history is anything to go by, then IEBC is laying grounds for election-related violence. It goes without saying that multi-party democracy came with the ethnicization of politics, and since 1992 a dark cloud of ethnic violence has been hanging on Kenyan elections.
Nonetheless, it is the 2007-2008 post-election violence that hit Kenya to the core leading to the loss of lives and thousands of internally displaced persons.
The run-up to the 2007 elections, there were tribal alignments, yes, but no indicator of possible post-poll chaos. Mt Kenya region was backing the late President Mwai Kibaki, who was seeking a second term in office, while other Kenyans were seemingly pushing for a Raila Odinga presidency.
All was well until the then Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) Chairman, the late Samuel Kivuitu, failed to announce the presidential election results creating anxiety and suspicion that there was a scheme to rig the election.
He declared Kibaki the winner despite Raila having commanded the lead from the onset and later led his swearing-in at night. Kivuitu would later admit that he was under pressure to declare Kibaki the winner but did not know who had really won, a statement that escalated tensions that had been building up in some parts of the country.
Violence erupted, lives were lost with hundreds of thousands evicted and losing land and other property because they suddenly became strangers to their neighbors who they had lived with in peace for very many years. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, the most damaging acts of fraud were committed during the final stages of tallying the presidential poll.
ECK presided over what was, by all means, a desperate last-minute attempt to rig in favor of incumbent Kibaki.
“Unfortunately, IEBC is yet again failing to instill confidence. Politicians make accusations just to hedge in case they lose. But when IEBC allows individuals to carry elections materials as if it is personal property then dismiss the issue as unimportant when asked to explain not only shows carelessness but also erodes trust in the electoral process,” – Julius Gatune.
While it is true that the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya could have been deep-rooted on tribal inclinations, the immediate trigger for the violence was rigging claims. This was not only a probable cause of the violence but also an abuse of Kenyans’ democratic rights.
Chebukati has been on record pledging to protect the integrity of the electoral process and promising that he will not declare the presidential winner at night. Nonetheless, just like Kivuitu, there seem to be powerful forces running the show behind the scenes.
Earlier last month, Chebukati told presidential aspirant Rueben Kigame that his hands were tied, and he had been forced not to put his name on the ballot. Although Chebukati did not explain who was behind this, it’s evident that political tension is overwhelming for him.
Kenyans have also raised concerns over IEBC’s commitment to a transparent electoral process. Speaking to Hot Seat News, Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Denise Kodhe of the Liberal Democratic Party expressed that the IEBC chairman has been giving contradicting information.
“The Chairman of IEBC is the captain in this election, and so he must exercise authority to assure Kenyans that the elections will be free and fair, transparent and democratic. Chebukati must restore confidence among Kenyans who have seen mixed signals from IEBC because it’s worrying,” Kodhe said.
He also intimated that IEBC is not all to blame because politicians are also publicly making utterances that are inflammatory and a cause for alarm. “As an aspirant, I’m worried, presidential candidates and their allies get carried away and make statements that send wrong signals during campaigns,” he added.
Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition and DP William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance have also been piling pressure on IEBC with different demands. Both parties have also been keen to outdo each other with accusations and counter-accusations that have often been delivered in the form of insults and allegations of using the commission to rig the elections.
While Kenyans might have some faith in IEBC, some believe that the war going on between politicians is causing all the tension and raising doubt.
“IEBC is an independent body, and politicians must respect and stop interfering with it. If everyone starts giving their ideas on how IEBC should conduct their business, then we are never going to be able to hold any elections,” Nancy wambui, a resident of Kayole, said.
Azimio la Umoja accused IEBC of colluding with Kenya Kwanza Alliance to use three Venezuelans arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in possession of elections stickers to try and rig the elections. The hustler movement, on their part, accused Azimio of using the police to try and access sensitive information that the foreigners carried.
Some Kenyans, however, blame IEBC for losing control and letting politicians call the shots. According to Joel from Rongai, IEBC was responsible for inviting the Venezuelans and should have ensured they had the proper documents.
“I don’t believe the IEBC will do a good job after the Venezuelans debacle,” Joel, who preferred to give only his first name, said.
Echoing Joel’s sentiments, Julius Gatune also revealed that he had lost confidence in IEBC for poorly handling the elections stickers saga.
“Unfortunately, IEBC is yet again failing to instill confidence. Politicians make accusations just to hedge in case they lose. But when IEBC allows individuals to carry elections materials as if it is personal property then dismiss the issue as unimportant when asked to explain not only shows carelessness but also erodes trust in the electoral process,” Gatune said.