IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
United Kingdom is willing to give the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) financial support to strengthen its electoral programs ahead of October 17 repeat presidential poll.
British High Commissioner to Kenya Nic Hailey said the British government is awaiting the formal request from the IEBC poll.
“We had released Sh.1.5 billion to IEBC for the August General Election and we are awaiting for another request. We are determined to see a transparent and democratic election that pits President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nasa leader Raila Odinga,” said the envoy.
Hailey, however, asked the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati to ensure the commission upholds democracy and transparency from the casting to tallying of votes and announcement of results. “It’s not for me to decide…but IEBC is expected to deliver a better election than the last one,” he said.
“We are not supporting any political party or candidate but backing a free and affair election as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution,” he added. He however dismissed Kenyans that were criticizing the International Observers for congratulating President Uhuru as the fifth president after been declared by the IEBC.
Hailey added that Observers were not in Kenya to rubberstamp elections of president Uhurtu as purported by Kenyans but to check if election process were peaceful and democratic and it was the duty of IEBC to decide whether it was a sham or engrossed with flaws.