Kenyan opposition calls for mass protests

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Kenya’s main opposition coalition has called upon its supporters to participate in nationwide protests on Tuesday, to force officials of the country’s electoral body – who it suspects of malpractice in the August 8 election – to resign ahead of the repeat presidential poll.

Chief executive of the National Super Alliance (NASA), Norman Magaya, said the protests will continue until the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials resign.

Earlier this month, opposition leader Raila Odinga published names of 12 officials it suspected were to blame for the flawed vote, saying they should resign and face legal consequences.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati. /AFP Photo

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati then suspended three staff members, including the ICT Director James Muhati, whose name was among those released by Odinga.

The ruling Jubilee Party has however differed with the opposition, accusing them of bullying tactics ahead of the repeat vote.

It claims the opposition’s target is to frustrate the IEBC and ensure no election is held, thus causing a constitutional crisis.

Kenya’s public prosecutor Keriako Tobiko over the weekend ordered a 21-day investigation of individuals from the IEBC who were accused of malpractices in the August 8 elections.

The Supreme Court in a detailed ruling released last week piled the blame on the electoral authority for the nullified vote, particularly taking issue with the transmission of the results from different polling stations to the main tallying centre in the capital, Nairobi.

The new vote is scheduled to be conducted on October 26.

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