By Sarah Omondi
A row is brewing between the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the National Police Service over Thursday’s arrest of a Venezuelan with 17 election stickers for various constituencies at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The election materials were discovered by custom officials at the port while screening Comarco Gregoria’s luggage prompting his arrest and consfication of the items.
The foreigner, who had just landed in the country from London around noon, was in company of two other men.
Police indicated that the materials, that were later discovered to belong to the electoral agency, were not declared as per the law and had not been accompanied by any IEBC official as per the routine procedure.
Terming it breach of security procedure that requires communication be made earlier for proper security arrangements, the security agencies wondered why such highly confidential and sensitive materials were being transported by an individual and not as sealed cargo.
“The airport security had not been notified of such an import beforehand to provide requisite security and escort,” NPS Spokesperson Bruno Shioso said.
He said the suspect who had been detained at the airport Police Station was released and the seized stickers forwarded to IEBC.
But IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati, in a release sent to newsrooms, said the Commission had not received the stickers as reported by the police and that some electronic items seized from the three had not been released as well.
They included mobile phones, laptops, flash disks which Mr Chebukati said contained vital and sensitive information relating to the upcoming elections.
“…The two others had been working with the Commission and had gone to check on their colleague. The stickers have been retained by the OCS ATPU which makes it hard for IEBC to seamlessly prepare for the polls,” he said on Friday.
The official further reported that the three were released conditionally and had been ordered to appear before the OCS in charge of Anti-Terror Police Unit on July 26 which he insited affected their duties.
Mr Chebukati claimed that the police officers at the airport compelled the three to provide passwords for the consficated phones and gadgets violating their right to privacy.
“The Commission demands a cessation of harassment of our personnel and call for immediate release of the confiscated items,” Mr Chebukati said.
Hours later, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations told off IEBC for misleading Kenyans saying no IEBC staff had been detained and that OCS ATPU office was non-existent in NPS structure.
“DCI has no such office. The statement by IEBC is inaccurate and misleading and should be treated witht the contempt it deserves,” DCI shared while promising to issue a comprehensive statement on Saturday.
Kenya Kwanza leaders have accused the police of harassing IEBC officials and asked the agency to stay put and not to give in to the demands made by Azimio la Umoja Presidential candidate Raila Odinga that include use of manual register during the polls.
The development has raised suspicion on the agency’s preparedness to offer free, fair, transparent and credible elections with a section of Azimio leaders led by Kalonzo Musyoka crying foul that it was a scheme to rig the elections.
