IEBC summons ODM officials over Kibra violence
The electoral commission has summoned Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) officials over the violence witnessed in Kibra over the weekend.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has given the Raila Odinga-led party 24 hours to respond to the complaint filed by Jubilee Party’s Kibra parliamentary seat by-election candidate McDonald Mariga.
In the letter by the Commission, ODM is accused of breaching the Electoral Code of Conduct contrary to different provisions of the Elections Act, 2011.
ODM supporters are accused of attacking, disrupting campaigns by causing violence and intimidation to Mr Mariga and his supporters and even damaging his campaign vehicles.
The party’s leaders are also accused of instigating violence and are planning to cause chaos in order to disrupt the November 7 by-election exercises.
FILE A RESPONSE
“You are hereby required within twenty four hours from the date of service hereof to file a response to the said complaint. Should you fail to file a response and enter an appearance within the time mentioned above, the complaint will be heard and determined in your absence,” reads the letter signed by Salome Oyugi and dated October 15, 2019.
The letter is addressed to ODM chairman John Mbadi, who also doubles up as the National Assembly Minority Leader and Suba South MP.
The hearing of the compliant will take place on Friday, October 18 starting from 10am at the Commission’s Boardroom at its offices located at Anniversary Towers.
The complaint by Mr Mariga alleges that they were attacked on two different occasions over the last weekend.
He said that while en route to one of his campaign rallies, he was attacked together with his supporters by ODM supporters who were allegedly acting on instructions from the party’s leadership.
“I have herein attached a video of one of the occasions where the said instructions were being issued and the photos of the damaged vehicle, billboard together with the injured person,” said Mariga in the complaint letter.
The former footballer further stated that on Sunday, while attending a church service at Emmanuel PCEA Church in Sarang’ombe Ward, they were again attacked by goons who said they were supporters of ODM’s candidate Bernard Imran Okoth.
“The witnesses who are either affected by this violence or were present when they occurred are ready and willing to give their account to the Commission. In addition, the violence seems to be escalating and thus the urgent intervention of the commission is needed.”