Abuse of Kenya election staff was at unimaginable scale of assaulting and injuring

 

Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has give a statement saying the abuse its staff faced during the 9 August presidential elections "reached an unimaginable mood".

It gave an extensive list of the alleged abuse, including the "assaulting and injuring" of commission chairman Wafula Chebukati and others, as well as the "unwarranted arrest" of a voter education coordinator.

The list also included allegations of "abduction" and "torturing", "harassment and physical assault" as well as an alleged break-in to the offices of a senior staff member at the National Tallying Centre "with the intention of accessing sensitive data".

The statement also said some IEBC staff had died, referring to Geoffrey Gitobu, a returning officer for Gichugu Constituency who the commission says "died in what could be election related stress".

An autopsy of Mr Gitobu showed that he died of a blood clot.

Kenya's election has been marred by allegations of intimidation, threats and blackmail.