From: Steve Aseno

The Standard Online | Dec 23 2007

State denies rigging claims

Published on December 24, 2007, 12:00 am

By Joseph Murimi and Cyrus Ombati

Claims that the polls will be rigged to help President Kibaki secure a second term drew out Party of National Unity (PNU) big guns, who denied the allegations and demanded evidence of the scheme.

But the ODM leadership repeated the allegations, with the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Raila Odinga, saying he had personally written to the Electoral Commission of Kenya and President Kibaki over the alleged plot that has cast a dark cloud over the General Election, which is only three days away.

Yesterday, voters’ registers were found at a city building, further fuelling speculation.

This came back to back with reports — dismissed by the Government— that the State was plotting to rig Raila out of Lang’ata Constituency using Administration Police officers. Out to defend the Government yesterday were Finance minister Mr Amos Kimunya, Sports minister Mr Maina Kamanda, PNU spokesman Mr George Nyamweya and Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua.

Dismissing the claims as wild propaganda to cover up for his (Raila’s) own intentions of rigging, Kimunya, said: "This is purely propaganda to cover up their (ODM’s) own intention. He either wants to rig or has sensed defeat and wants to cause confusion. Can he explain the more than a 100 per cent turnout in Orange areas during the referendum?"

Speaking at PNU media centre, Kimunya demanded that Raila tables evidence. "Raila should stop causing fear and panic among Kenyans. It’s possible that ODM is planning to rig and are now diverting attention".

But Raila was unrelenting: "I have now written to (ECK chairman) Mr Samuel Kivuitu, asking him to immediately investigate this very credible accusation, with the aim of establishing President Kibaki’s role or knowledge of it. He should also look into reports that fake ballot papers are being marked in the President’s Othaya constituency".

The statement from Orange headquarters added: "If a link is established between the President and this illegal scheme, he should be disqualified by the ECK from participating in the election."

On his part, Kamanda observed when reached by the telephone: "They know they have lost ground and this talk about rigging is absolutely not true. They merely want to incite people to reject the result."

The Government spokesman, in a statement posted on his website, denied the allegations.

"The Government categorically states that media reports and political statements alleging that the Government plans to rig the elections are not true and at best preposterous," said Mutua.

"President Kibaki’s Government has not planned nor does it plan to rig the elections. In actual fact, the Government is concerned after receiving intelligence reports that the opposition is planning to disrupt the election process in some areas, hence denying people their right to vote."

Dr Mutua dismissed as "unsubstantiated" claims by opposition politicians and as "un-researched, speculative and erroneous", media reports accusing the Government of election irregularities.

He added: "All of these allegations have been proven false by the Electoral Commission of Kenya and other independent observers."

Earlier yesterday as the controversy raged, Nyamweya said: "There is no evidence brought forward to prove that any rigging was taking place and those with it should table it to the police and the Electoral Commission."

In his statement, Raila spoke of a democratic vibrancy that has powerfully propelled the country forward as it seeks to put in place what he described as "a government of the people’s choosing".

"It now seems that this passionately democratic exercise is a complete and twisted sham," he said of the alleged rigging plot, adding, "I have been warning repeatedly that this Government has a master plan to comprehensively rig this election, but no action has yet been taken to follow up on reports which are widely circulating about specific methods being used to fraudulently win this election."

He added: "If the President is found to be unaware of this criminal activity, that would speak volumes about the way he has been running this country".

He added: "Clearly, the government is resorting to these criminal electoral actions because it knows the extent of the people’s disenchantment with it after it failed to uplift their lives over the last five years. Neither has it been able to offer new policies, which might win the voters’ support. So the Government has decided that the only way it can stay in power is by stealing this election".

Raila also said he had written to the Police Commissioner to immediately launch investigations.

The immediate former Lang’ata MP went on to add that he had also sent a letter to the European Union (EU) election observers "whom I met just the other day and briefed about the ongoing rigging exercise".

He said: "I urge them to speak out forcefully against this rigging scheme. Prevention is infinitely more important than cure in these matters".

Late yesterday, there was drama when ODM supporters stormed Loita House in the city centre and confiscated several voters’ registers that were being printed. The registers for Nyanza and North Eastern had been printed and packaged ready for transportation by a man who said he had been hired by PNU.

Last night Mr Ngari Gituku, Kibaki Tena press secretary, said: "Those are innocuous pieces of information available online from the ECK".

He added: "We arranged to have them printed for avoidance of doubt for our polling agents who have no access to the Internet."

Mr Godfrey Gachura said he had been instructed by the party secretariat to print the lists for distribution to PNU polling agents.

He said he had dispatched similar registers to North Eastern, Coast and Eastern provinces while those for Nyanza and Western were lined up.

ODM officials Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, Mr Otieno Kajwang’ and Justice (rtd) Richard Kwach arrived at the printer and expressed doubts over the exercise.

Nyong’o said ODM suspected the registers were to be distributed to the Provincial Administration, who would use them to buy voters’ cards from the Orange party supporters.

Police arrived at the office and said they were waiting for word from the ECK to know if the printing process was legal before taking any action.