This archive report was first published on 9 November 2019.
As Kenya approaches the General Election, the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must put its house in order and deal firmly with election offenders.
The November 7 Kibra by-election, which ended relatively peacefully, exposed the need for the IEBC to take decisive action against those who breach electoral laws and public order bylaws.
While Jubilee Party's McDonald Mariga conceded defeat early in the ballot counting, averting potential reactions that could have undermined the peace, the chaos witnessed in pockets of the constituency was intolerable and should be condemned.
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale was seen strolling the slums armed with stones, and Kimilili MP Didimus Barasa was openly roughed up by rival groups, yet no one has been arrested.
With the General Election fast approaching, the IEBC and its chairman, Wafula Chebukati, who inspires little public confidence, have work cut out for them.
Just days before the shambolic repeat elections in 2017, Mr. Chebukati told the world that events at IEBC had spiraled out of control and that he could no longer guarantee free and fair elections.
Now that he has chosen to hang on, we urge him to ensure radical reforms and find novel approaches to tame poll malpractices on all fronts.
Proponents of hate speech should be dealt with ruthlessly, as divisive campaigns like those in 2007 and 2017 inflicted wounds that will take decades to heal.
