ODM Raises Red Flag Over Rigging

By DAVE OPIYO and DAN OTIENO 
Daily Nation, 26 December 2007

ODM Presidential candidate Raila Odinga Tuesday claimed that the country’s security forces had been sent to various parts of the country to rig Thursday’s General Election. 

He repeated claims that the officers, largely drawn from the Administration Police, had been posted to voting stations as polling agents for the Party of National Unity, and produced a copy of a letter bearing a signature with the names of the President as proof. 

The claims were, however, dismissed by the Press Secretary for the Kibaki Tena campaign, Mr Gituku Ngari, as attempted forgery. 

“We are confident enough of victory on Thursday and have no reason to rig the poll,” he said. 

A spokesman for the AP, Mr Masoud Mwinyi, also dismissed the claims as false and said officers would only be used as security officials alongside their regular police counterparts. 

Appointment letters 

Mr Odinga made the claims at a news conference in Nairobi Tuesday evening, when he produced copies of what he said were the APs’ appointment letters, allegedly signed by President Kibaki. 

“This gives them authority and unfettered access to polling stations so as to effect the rigging plot,” said Mr Odinga. 

“They were all issued with 1000 pre-marked ballot papers to be stuffed by them in ballot boxes on election day,” he added. 

By posting the APs as his polling agents, said Mr Odinga, President Kibaki was violating the Constitution, which bars public servants from being recruited into party politics. 

The outgoing Lang’ata MP said his party had video evidence to support the allegations and asked the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) to investigate the matter thoroughly. 

However, ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu said the commission had not received any evidence that the rigging schemes were contemplated or were awaiting implementation. 

In a statement, Mr Kivuitu, however, conceded that some overzealous campaign leaders could be tempted to abuse state power and authority without his personal involvement. 

Mr Odinga, who was accompanied by outgoing Westlands MP Fred Gumo, gave the number plates of at least 18 government and three private vehicles which were used to transport the officers and the marked ballot papers from the Administration Police Training College in Embakasi, Nairobi. The government vehicles include that of an assistant minister and one belonging to the ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Vehicles intercepted

Mr Odinga said that one of the vehicles had been intercepted by the public in Mbita constituency. 

One person was seriously injured by the public, which suspected him to be one of the people allegedly preparing to rig Thursday’s elections in Mbita and Homa Bay towns. 

Police however described the people who were attacked as election observers. 

The attack prompted an impromptu meeting of the Mbita district security council, as government officials sought to calm the public. 

The district commissioner, a Mr Laparmai, and the police boss, Mr Jimmy Mnene, both said that they were not aware of the presence of the group, leading to the public to demanded its immediate ejection. 

In Nairobi, Mr Odinga said the AP’s were briefed on their mission by a leading education official in the country, a permanent secretary and a senior ECK official. 

“The AP’s brief included being given an oath of secrecy and being given appointment letters as the President’s polling agents,” said Mr Odinga. 

Mr Odinga said that those deployed to Sabatia and Eldoret North constituencies had already arrived at their stations. 

In Lang’ata, said Mr Odinga, the AP’s were now looking for houses to rent.