Azimio writes to IEBC over employing a majority of election officials from one community
Azimio writes to IEBC over ethnic composition of election officials saying the recruitment process is skewed and ‘on purpose’
Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party wants the ongoing recruitment of electoral officials stopped over claims of ethnic composition.
Saitabao ole Kanchory, the chief agent for Raila Odinga, claimed in a letter to the IEBC that one community has 19% of the positions for county returning officers in the organization.
According to Mr. Kanchory, the same community holds 17% of the jobs for constituency returning officers and wants some of them recalled or transferred to other areas.
He alleges that the “ethnic imbalance is skewed and strategic”.
“It is obvious from the foregoing that there has been a well-calculated, deliberate, and strategic ethnic mobilization of your personnel in favour of one of the presidential candidates in this election,” read the letter.
In their letter to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Azimio says the situation violates principles of national unity, inclusiveness, and equality.
“The Constitutional and Statutory dictate that appointments and employment to commissions and independent offices must reflect regional and ethnic balance and capture the true face of Kenya,” he said, adding that presiding officers, their deputies and polling clerks should be hired afresh.
The coalition faulted a previous explanation by the IEBC on why many returning officers came from a single community.
IEBC commissioner, Prof Abdi Guliye, said IEBC staff were recruited from within their counties to ensure all communities were represented. Prof Guliye warned politicians against politicizing the IEBC by profiling its employees.
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