ODM official Philip Etale arrested in Malindi over claims of electoral malpractice

Malindi, Kenya: The ODM’s Director of Communications Philip Etale was early Monday arrested from his hotel room in Malindi and held at the Kilifi police station over claims of electoral malpractice.

Officials accused him of trying to hack the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission system.

The party has however protested the move and termed the claims fake and part of state’s plan to intimidate their supporters in Malindi.

Etale said on phone he was in his room in Malindi town at about 1 am when about 20 officers led by the local OCPD knocked and picked him up before driving to Kilifi.

“I am being held at Kilifi police station near the Governor’s office. I don’t know what they want and I am scared,” said Etale on the phone.

The officers are said to have demanded his mobile phone and laptop claiming he was involved in election malpractice, a claim he denied.

Etale had been engaged in social media campaign earlier on denouncing any planned rigging.

Other officials claimed he had received a clip of a top local official being engaged in corruption and bribery hence the operation.

Police involved in the operation said regional coordinator Nelson Marwa is the one who ordered the exercise saying Etale was trying to “hack electoral system and rig”.

The officers said Marwa had complained he had information of the said hacking and had even protested to Nairobi.

We could not get a comment from Marwa as his mobile phone was switched off.

Etale said he had no capacity to hack the system.

Voting for the Malindi MP the area went on Monday as officials from the party tried to have him freed. He was in custody by 8 am as tension mounted there.