Nairobi, Kenya: Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko has appointed a team to assist the Ethics and Ant-Corruption Commission (EACC) probe the failure of electronic voter identification kits as recommended by the Supreme Court.
In a letter to EACC, Tobiko asked the anti-graft body to conduct investigations into the acquisition of the kits as directed by the Supreme Court and forward a report on the findings to his office for action.
The DPP appointed a team of prosecutors led by a Mr Kioko Kamula to assist EACC in the investigations.
Tobiko said already EACC was investigating allegations into the tender and supply of the Biometric Voter Registration kits.
In a detailed judgments on election petitions that challenged the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Supreme Court recommended investigations and possible prosecution of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials over acquisition of electronic voter identification kits and Results Transmission System.
“There is evidence that the technologies were used at the beginning but they later stalled and crashed,” said the Supreme Court Judges.
The judges said it was stated during the petitions hearing that the failure mainly arose from misunderstandings and squabbles among IEBC members during the procurement process.
This, according to the judges, led to failure to assess the integrity of the technologies in good time.
“It is likely that the acquisition process was marked by competing interests involving impropriety or even criminality and we recommend that the matter be entrusted to the relevant state agency for further investigation and possible prosecution of suspects,” said the judges in the ruling.
