Electoral agency must go the extra mile to win public trust

At the height of the rivalry between Jubilee and the Opposition before the latter mutated into National Super Alliance, the bone of contention was demand for the overhaul of the national electoral body. Right up to the street protests towards the end of last year, the then Coalition for Reforms and Democracy was determined that commissioners led by Ahmed Issack Hassan and the secretariat under Ezra Chiloba had to go.

Behind the veil on CORD's face was the bitter after-taste of the 2013 election, which Raila Odinga claimed was stolen. He was convinced the Uhuru Kenyatta-William Ruto pair did not attain the 50+1 threshold to avoid a run-off and that the Supreme Court was cajoled to declare them winners.