Tobiko to charge 24 IEBC officials over botched election

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) says it has identified 24 electoral agency staff to be charged over the botched August 8 presidential polls even as the Opposition accuses it of complicity.

Dorcas Oduor, Secretary of Public Prosecutions, said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) employees are among 144 individuals to be prosecuted over electoral offences.

Ms Oduor would not state whether the prosecutions are wholly linked to the Supreme Court ruling or part of the State’s investigations.

“The ODPP is prosecuting 144 election-related offences including 24 IEBC officials,” said Ms Oduor who is also the head of Economic, International and Emerging crimes.

“The ODPP awaits details in the full judgement yet to be released by the Supreme Court so as to take appropriate action.”

She made the remarks after receiving a petition from the Kura Yangu Sauti Yangu civil society group which is demanding prosecution of all IEBC officials involved in the botched August 8 presidential elections. The Supreme Court is expected make public its full ruling on the presidential election petition on September 22.

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The National Super Alliance (Nasa), the Opposition coalition which successfully challenged President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election, has however accused the ODPP of being partisan and instructed its lawyers to institute private proceedings against IEBC managers.

The Opposition said it has figured out “perpetrators of a criminal enterprise within the IEBC” from its reading of the brief ruling on the presidential election petition issued earlier by Chief Justice David Maraga.

“The ODPP and all other agencies that deal with criminal prosecutions are partisan and are not willing to do their job,” Nasa Co-principal Moses Wetang’ula said yesterday at a Press conference in Nairobi.