The chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Wednesday said he was not able to guarantee a credible repeat presidential election.
“I have made several attempts to make critical changes but all my motions have been defeated by a majority of the commission. Under such conditions it is difficult to guarantee a free, fair and credible elections,” IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said in a press briefing.
The East African country has been in political uncertainty since the Supreme Court’s annulment of the August 8 presidential vote.
The court cited irregularities in the tallying and transmission processes, and ordered a repeat vote within 60 days of the date of the ruling, September 1.
IEBC initially set an October 17 date for that vote, before later postponing it to October 26, citing a need to get better prepared.
With the new date less than 10 days away, Chebukati’s words will stir an already murky political climate even more.
Already, one IEBC Commissioner, Roselyn Akombe, resigned from her duties after fleeing to the US. In her resignment letter, she said “the commission was under siege.”
The country’s main NASA opposition coalition under Raila Odinga’s leadership also last week withdrew from the vote, citing a need to have reforms at the electoral body before any election is held.
The coalition has called for protests on the election day.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has however said he is ready to run again, and has accused Odinga of fearing defeat as his reason for withdrawing from the race.
Chebukati has now called for talks with both Kenyatta and Odinga.
