Azimio-One Kenya Coalition wants the electoral commission to rectify what it termed as ethnic imbalance and skewed deployment of election officials.
In a letter dated July 1 and addressed to IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, Azimio now demands that the electoral agency halts the ongoing process of shortlisting, recruitment and deployment of Presiding Officers, Deputy presiding officers and clerks.
The letter by Azimio’s Chief Agent Saitabao ole Kanchory also demands that IEBC recalls or redeploys some Returning Officers to dismantle what he termed as partisan networks and disrupt a well-laid rigging scheme.
“The commission should immediately furnish us with names of Returning Officers from 21 constituencies left blank (ungazetted) in the Gazette Notice no 4961 dated April 28,” the letter.
Kanchory claimed analysis of appointments of ROs listed in the Gazette Notice vis-a-vis the most populous ethnic groups in Kenya, reveals disproportionate ethnic imbalance.
During a meeting with presidential candidates and their agents at Windsor last month, IEBC commissioner Prof Abdi Guliye said most of the Returning Officers were employed on a permanent and pensionable basis between 2013 and 2017.
