Police are investigating the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials in constituencies where election did not take place.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet Friday said some Returning Officers and Presiding Officers, their deputies and clerks disappeared to sabotage the election. The areas affected include six constituencies in Siaya County, five in Migori, eight in Homa Bay and five in Kisumu. The officials are accused of failing to turn up for work.
The Elections Offences Act demands that officials must carry out all their official duties. They are also supposed to show impartiality during the election.
For those who defy the law, Section Six of the Act provides for a fine not exceeding Sh1 million or an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.
The Act also prohibits people from destroying or even removing election materials from a polling station. The punishment for this offence under Section Five says such a person is liable to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years or to both.
Officers killed
Yesterday, Boinnet blamed the officials, among other factors, for the failure by the IEBC to conduct the exercise. “A number of polling stations were not opened or opened late due to various factors among them failure of IEBC officials to report on duty, weather conditions and refusal by hired transporters to release their vehicles,” he said.
He noted that there was trouble in Kitui, Garissa, Nairobi, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Lamu, Meru, Mombasa, Kisii, Busia, Narok, Machakos, Kakamega and Bungoma counties.
Police say at least six people have been killed and 13 others injured in chaos that broke out over the repeat presidential poll. One police officer was killed and six others injured in the chaos. Police said some 86 people were arrested and would face electoral related charges. The deaths happened in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Athi River and Bungoma.
