Hussein Ali Duale (Awil) The Wrong Place @ the Wrong Time
The Nation (Nairobi)
Campaign violence countrywide.
Meanwhile, the Government has declared Friday, December 28, a public holiday. This follows a request by ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu for the day after elections to be declared a public holiday.
It means that only Monday, December 24, will be a working day next week. The elections will be held on Thursday, which is automatically a public holiday under Kenyan laws.
Seeking re-election
Summons have been sent to East African Affairs assistant minister Bonny Khalwale, who is seeking re-election in Ikolomani on a New Ford Kenya ticket, his rival, Mr Aggrey Shitsama of ODM, and a Mr Wycliffe Khavuchi also of Ikolomani.
The politicians are expected to defend themselves before the ethics committee chaired by commissioner Kihara Muttu, at the ECK headquarters at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi. Mr Muttu is also the vice-chairman of the ECK.
Others who have been summoned are Mathira parliamentary candidates Ephraim Maina (Safina), Nderitu Gachagua (PNU) and Peter Kuguru (Dynamic Party of Kenya).
The ECK would also like to question Mr Wilson Kariuki Munene, an official of Kibaki Tena lobby group, which is supporting President Kibaki's re-election for a second five-year term on a PNU ticket.
The seven people are expected to appear before the ethics committee at noon to clear their names over incidents of electoral violence.
As election violence has escalated in the past few days, an aide of the Rongo ODM parliamentary candidate, Mr Dalmas Otieno, was killed by rival supporters.
In Malava, two vehicles were torched and a sugarcane plantation set ablaze, while a teenager was lynched by a gang in Nairobi's Kibera slums in Lang'ata constituency, for wearing a PNU ticket.
Several women parliamentary and civic candidates have also been victims of the poll violence in Imenti North, Embakasi and Taveta constituencies, among others.
According to the ECK, on November 24 at Muberethi village in Mathira, supporters of Mr Maina and those of Mr Gachagua clashed, resulting in the death of one person. Several others were injured.
On December 10, the ECK says, Mr Gachagua's supporters also attacked and injured Mr Kuguru's supporter.
The ECK warns that failure by any one of those summoned to attend will lead to action being taken against them.
The summons were issued as a meeting of political party representatives, ECK commissioners and Attorney-General Amos Wako expressed concern over the increasing case of election violence.
Some 50 registered political parties were represented at the meeting held at the KICC.
Kibaki presidential campaign manager George Nyamweya said his party's flagbearer always starts his rallies by condemning violence and appealing to the public to ensure peaceful polls.
ODM's representative, Dr Joseph Misoi, appealed to the ECK to assure the 14.2 million voters that the State will provide them with adequate security on polling day.
Mr Kivuitu said areas where clashes had been reported like Kuresoi and Mt Elgon would be reviewed on the eve of the polling day. "If the situation escalates the elections might be postponed," he said.
The officials, who attended a consultative meeting organised by the ECK at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, regretted that no action had been taken after the media highlighted the attacks on female civic and parliamentary candidates.
But in his defence, Mr Wako said he could not prosecute anyone unless his office was given sufficient evidence.
Said Mr Wako: "We deal with hard facts and not political statements or perceptions because they may be wrong."
Since the dissolution of Parliament two months ago, Mr Wako said, he had received only one electoral violence file to prosecute.
The case involves Mr Shamir Walji, a brother of a candidate for the Westlands seat in Nairobi, Mr A. W. Walji, who is vying on a Kaddu ticket.
Said Mr Wako: "I appeal to political parties and their candidates to record statements and send formal complaints to ECK and the police for action to be taken against perpetrators of electoral violence."
Police Commissioner Ali was represented by Mr David Kimaiyo, who is in charge of operations. He said they had so far taken action on cases of electoral violence reported in Kibera, Ndhiwa, Rongo, Malava and Taveta.
Mr Kimaiyo assured women candidates that they will be protected on the eve of the polling saying his officers were working 24 hours to protect them.
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