KENYA: Chief prosecutor orders inquiry into electoral commission

Kenya’s chief prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the electoral commission over possible misconduct in last month’s annulled vote. The Supreme Court annulled the result of the 8 August poll after finding irregularities and declaring it “neither transparent or verifiable”. The electoral commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 […]

Kenya’s chief prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the electoral commission over possible misconduct in last month’s annulled vote.

The Supreme Court annulled the result of the 8 August poll after finding irregularities and declaring it “neither transparent or verifiable”. The electoral commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 million votes. A re-run, originally scheduled for 17 October, will be held on 26 October. Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko, asked the police and anti-corruption agency to investigate whether any electoral or criminal offences had been committed by members of the electoral commission.

He asked investigators to examine allegations that two senior opposition officials had gained illegal access to the commission’s servers.

Although no individual had been blamed, he added, this did not prevent the court from ordering an investigation.