IEBC not transparent on polls process, says Maragua MP candidate

A candidate vying for the Maragua MP seat has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of lacking transparency in its preparations of the election.

Anthony Chege, who is vying on the Jubilee Party, said it is unfortunate that candidates have to follow news outlets to find out how far the electoral agency has gone in its preparedness.

Chege said the election is a public process that should not be conducted in secrecy and that IEBC should make public every step for Kenyans to feel included.

He said the lack of transparency has left candidates in the dark even as they prepare to face the polls that are scheduled to occur in almost a week's time. 

“The commission has not involved us as it should. We only see its activities as they are reported on the news and our parties are equally in the dark,” Chege said.

This, he said, is detrimental to the confidence of Kenyans and candidates as the election nears. 

He challenged the commission’s chairperson Wafula Chebukati to "keep his house in order" so that Kenyans can go to the polls with confidence.

“It (IEBC) lacks transparency yet anything concerning the election should be done in public if it affects the public,” Chege said.

The parliamentary candidate also cited the case of the three Venezuelans arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with election materials.

Chebukati said the three, Jose Gregorio Camargo Castellanos, Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Salvador Javier Sosa Suarez who were found in possession of 17 rolls of stickers targeted to serve 10 counties, were workers of a firm contracted to help with the polls.

But Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti said there was no evidence that the three were workers of IEBC or the firm.

However, Chege said following the back and forth between IEBC and the DCI; it did not suffice for the two to just say that the matter had been resolved.

The government, he said, has investigative agencies that should have established the real identities of the trio and inform Kenyans whether or not they were up to any mischief.

He said the agency should have held consistent meetings with candidates to inform them of the procedures and its level of preparedness.

(edited by Amol Awuor)