Kenya's electoral body names new team to oversee poll

The Kenyan electoral agency Tuesday announced a new six-man team that will manage the October 17 fresh elections in a move that has seen top officials sidelined.

Those that have been sidelined are the commission’s Chief Executive Ezra Chiloba, his deputy Betty Nyabuto, the commission’s director of voter registration and elections operations Immaculate Kasait, her junior Mwaura Kamwati, the manager of operations, and its head of ICT Andrew Muhati.

“In my capacity as the National Returning Officer for the presidential election and in accordance with Section 38 of the Elections Act (2011), I have hereby appointed the following staff members to serve in a project team for purposes of the presidential election to be held on 17th October 2017,” the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati said.

CHILOBA

In the place of Mr Chiloba will be the soft-spoken Marjan Hussein Marjan, who was his deputy and managed support structures in the commission.

Mr Marjan, who will now be termed as the October 17 fresh poll project coordinator, had led the team at the Bomas of Kenya, the National Tallying Centre, in receiving forms 34B from the constituencies.Ms Nyabuto has been replaced by Dr Sidney Namulungu, who will be the head of operations while Ms Kasait and Mr Kamwati have been replaced by Ms Nancy Kariuki who will now head the logistics team.

In the changes, Mr Chebukati replaced Mr Muhati with Mr Albert Gogo.

FAILED ELECTIONS

To further buttress himself from the challenges of a failed elections technology, Mr Chebukati ordered Mr Gogo to be under his direct supervision as opposed to the CEO or the project coordinator.

Ms Anne Nderitu, the head of training at the commission, has been replaced by a Mr Bernard Misati Moseti, while Mr Silas Rotich will be the head of the National Tallying Center.

“The appointment takes immediate effect and will last for a period of 3 months,” said Mr Chebukati.

Mr Chebukati, as the National Returning Officer, said that the changes were part of his bid to show commitment that the fresh poll will be “in accordance with the Constitution, the relevant laws and that it reflects the sovereign will of the Kenyan people.”