Chiloba dismisses Nasa claims of participating in repeat poll

IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba, who took a three-week leave from duty prior to the October 26 presidential repeat election, has denied claims by the opposition Nasa that he played a roll in the poll.

Nasa claimed Thursday that Mr Chiloba made several calls to the commission’s county coordinators, especially in the opposition strongholds, to “cook up results” in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta due to poor turnout.

“I wish I could see myself as powerful as Hon Junet sees me. The misleading allegations about me can only be but polarise the country further,” Mr Chiloba said.

CHILOBA'S PHONE

Addressing journalists at Panafric Hotel in Nairobi on the repeat election, the MPs called on the Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro to seize Mr Chiloba’s phone of and check call logs in order to confirm their claims.

The MPs, led by Suna East MP Junet Mohammed, claimed that even though the CEO took a three-week leave, he has been pulling the strings behind the scenes pressuring returning officers and presiding officers to open up constituency tallying centres to make “manufacture results”.

The opposition leaders called on the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko to immediately commence investigations on the allegations against Mr Chiloba.

POSTPONE POLLS

The legislators also accused IEBC of ethnic profiling by postponing elections in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori counties.

Jubilee leaders led by senate majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed the allegations by the opposition saying they are just bitter because people in 43 counties turned out to vote contrary to their expectation.

“We have walked around most polling stations including the Nasa strongholds and some people came out to exercise their democratic right contrary to the wishes of Raila Odinga,” Mr Murkomen said.

NOT PARTICIPANTS

Mr Murkomen said the opposition should not comment about election issues because they are not participants.

“Why is Nasa, now a movement, so much interested in an election they boycotted? They have no authority to comment about an exercise [in which] they are not players,” Mr Murkomen said.

He defended IEBC for cancelling elections in Kisumu, Migori, Siaya and Homa Bay, saying the law allows them to do so.

“The electoral commission acted within the law and it is unfortunate that Nasa supporters intimidated IEBC officials,” he said.