Chaos, ghosts of unfair polls characterise campaigns ahead of by-elections

IEBC chairman Erustus Ethekon with commissioner Anne Nderitu at JKIA Nairobi after receiving first batch of ballot papers for the 27th November by elections. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Even before the official whistle for the by-elections has been blown by IEBC, the mini-poll campaigns have been marred by chaos, allegations of voter bribery and suppression, further heralding the spectre of an unfair exercise come Wednesday.

Whereas the government has assured of massive police deployments on the D-day to curb any political intemperance, the opposition has spoken of a plan to rig the by-elections across the country through the use of hired goons to invade polling stations and the use of the 2017 voter register—a development that has put the role of institutions such as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the polls agency and the police into sharp focus.