Raila Odinga maintains stance on election

NASA flag bearer Raila briefing the press outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi on Wednesday. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The National Super Alliance has insisted it will not participate in the repeat elections until all their demands are met.

Its presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, wants Safran Morpho, an election technology firm and Dubai-based Al Ghurair that printed ballot papers, out of the picture.

NASA has indicated it will push for the prosecution of some Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials they believe bungled the elections.

The majority ruling by the Supreme Court judges Wednesday, however, exonerated all the poll officials from any criminal culpability.

“Although the petitioner claimed various electoral offences by the officials of the first respondent (IEBC), no evidence was placed before us to prove this allegation. What we saw was in evidence, was a systemic institutional problem and we were unable to find specific fingerprints of individuals who may have played a role in commission of illegalities,” said CJ David Maraga.

“We are unable to impute any criminal intent or culpability on either the first and second respondent, or any other commissioner or member of the commission,” he said.

Lawyers James Orengo and Otiende Amollo said they would work with the Director of Public Prosecutions to push for charges against the officers.

Orengo termed IEBC a crime scene that must be investigated to unearth the perpetrators of the electoral fraud.

NASA wants IEBC chief executive Ezra Chiloba, commissioner Abdi Guliye, ICT director James Muhati, voter education director Immaculate Kassait, and legal director Praxedes Tororey fired.