Deputy President William Ruto has told the diplomatic community that there are plans to rig the August 9 elections.
DP Ruto tod the European Union ambassador in Kenya that some functionaries in government were determined to undermine the capacity of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to deliver credible, transparent and democratic elections.
“You [EU ambassadors] have seen in the media that there was an attempt to obliterate names from the IEBC register and almost 800,000 or close to a million names have somehow disappeared from the voter register. it is in the public domain and I think even the IEBC have said they are doing remedial steps,” DP Ruto said in the meeting at his official residence in Karen.
“Many of those names are people from what we consider our strongholds. There is a clear attempt to play some monkey games. We don’t believe they will succeed, but these attempts are a source of concern to Kenyans,” he added.
The DP, who previously made the rigging claims at his Chatham House address in March, warned that such attempts are dangerous, “especially when certain public officials are chest-thumbing that they have the so-called system and the deep state to manipulate the election.”
He asked the EU to be vigilant to stop what he termed as a “plot to undermine credible and transparent elections”, and find out from the electoral commission and the government officials, whom he did not name.
” … try and get as much details as possible both from the IEBC and these public officials on what these is all about and how close to a million names disappeared from the register.”
He noted that the conduct of some government officials and ministers indicated a clear plan to rig the elections.
“When public officials take positions that are contrary to their oath of office, to the dictates of the Constitution, they are not only sabotaging the Constitution, but they are active agents of undermining credible transparent elections,” he said.
“When public officials in charge of ICT make statements that they are in charge of data that will make whichever side win, that undermines the credibility of this election and we expect friends of Kenya like the EU to speak to those issues because the issue of a credible election is good for everybody including our partners,” the DP added.
But in a rejoinder, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said no names are missing in the voter register.
Chebukati told reporters at Bomas on Thursday that the one million names claimed to be missing are those of voters who applied for transfers.
“Those spreading rumours that the data register has been lost be informed that it is intact. There is no breach or form of interference on the systems that we use to maintain the register. We shall account for each and every Kenyan who registered to vote,” he said.
Ruto said as Kenya Kwanza, they are committed to strengthening the diplomatic, cultural and scientific ties between Kenya and Europe, if they form government.
