IEBC dismisses Kuria's claims of missing KIEMS kits

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission-IEBC has dismissed claims that a KIEMs kit has gone missing in the ongoing Kiambaa by-election.

This is after Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria claimed, in a Facebook post, that a KIEMS kit had been sneaked out by IEBC officials who were conducting parallel voting in a tea plantation.

“Dear Wafula Chebukati. You are not picking my phones. IEBC clerks from Kingothua Primary School have sneaked our KIEMS kits and conducting voting at valentine growers plantation. This is the vehicle ferrying them. Call me back,” Kuria posted on his Facebook wall.

But IEBC in response said the alleged vehicle in question, KAN 875E is an IEBC Mitsubishi  Pajero was being used by commission staff who are providing technical support to the polling process.

“The car in question is an IEBC vehicle being used by Commission staff who are providing technical support to the polling process. The post by Moses Kuria is, therefore, a false allegation,” the commission responded.

IEBC communications manager Edger Aswani told the Standard that if Kuria had evidence as he claimed, he ought to have officially notified the returning officer.

“We are not even sure whether that is Kuria’s verified account. In any case, if there are such issues, he should officially write to the commission. The fact that he was calling Chairman Chebukati could not help because he [Chebukati] is not the returning officer,” Aswani said.

We reached out to Kuria who confirmed the account was his but tasked the commission to explain "what the car was stationed in a plantation."

“It is good they have responded, however, can they explain what their car is doing in a tea plantation,” Kuria posed.