Two IEBC officials arrested in Nairobi for trying to destroy presidential ballot papers

Ballot papers at a store in Kisii. IEBC officials were arrested after gaining access to ballot papers at Embakasi Girls, Nairobi. Photo: Jonah Onyango, Standard

Three people including two Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials were at the weekend arrested for trying to alter results of the just concluded election at a centre in Nairobi.

Sixteen ballot boxes with presidential election results were allegedly destroyed and materials altered in the incident on Saturday.

The officials, a deputy presiding officer and a clerk, had gone to Embakasi Girls School where election materials are kept and accessed the store.

They told police manning the store they had been sent by IEBC to get some needed materials to help in working on a case that has been filed in court.

The officers demanded a court order to allow them in but the officials said they were IEBC officials and did not require such orders.

It took the intervention of members of the public to flush out the two officials who had broken into the ballot boxes and were then busy writing new materials, witnesses said.

The two were later arrested and detained by DCI officials who arrived at the scene. They are likely to be charged in court Monday. The destroyed ballot boxes were kept as exhibits.

This comes in the wake of revelation that 24 IEBC officials are among 85 individuals facing prosecution over election-related offences.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko Friday said he was pursuing 70 criminal cases stemming from the August 8 General Election. Two are politicians while the rest are non-IEBC officials.

The DPP said the offences range from bribery, failure to perform official duty, illegal possession of ballot papers, impersonation and murder.

Nineteen of the officials are facing the charge of failing to perform official duty while 17 are accused of bribery.

The DPP said 20 other individuals are facing charges classified as "others" in the report, without further details while there is only one reported murder case and three cases of impersonation and ten for the offence of unlawful possession of ballot papers.

Tobiko had said 105 prosecutors have been tasked with handling the election-related cases.

Over 380 magistrates as well as judges have been trained on Election Dispute Resolution.