Kenyan civil servants and local residents gathered around the streets of Nairobi on Tuesday, Kenya protesting the brutal murder and torture of Chris Msando, the elections board IT director.
The angry crowd while protesting, clapped their hands, chanted slogans and held signs which read “justice for Msando, free and fair elections, stop the bloodshed”.
The IT director of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chris Msando’s body was found dumped in a forest in the outskirts of Nairobi on Monday after he was reported missing since Friday 10pm.
The body was reportedly found bruised with one arm cut off, authorities highlighted he had been tortured before he was killed.
“We Kenyans are here to fight for our rights, to fight for Msando. When we go to the election polls, we need to vote for people who will not just watch as innocent people are being killed,” said George Kegora, one of the organizers of the protest and the executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).
“Our hope and our sort of being here is to tell the IEBC commissioners not to be intimidated to do their job as this tragic death has driven fear through the department. We are here to mourn the death of Msando together with his family,” Muthoni Wanyeki, the Amnesty International director for East Africa said, holding a sign written “Kenya is crying”.
Wafula Chebukati, the IEBC chairperson thanked the protestors for coming out to express their fears and protest Msando’s murder. He however informed the crowd that despite the fact that the IEBC was mourning, it would deliver a free, fair and peaceful election come August 8.
One of the grieving protestors insinuated that Msando’s murder is “politically instigated”.
At his campaign rally held at 64 Stadium in Eldoret, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that, “Chris Msando’s murder should not be used by politicians to postpone the August 8 general election”.
Mr. Kenyatta described Msando as a man who sacrificed himself for the good of the country and its institutions. The president also sent condolences to the family of the deceased official.
“We all are deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Chris Msando,” said Kenyatta.
Mr. Kenyatta asked politicians and Kenyans in general to stop any speculations and leave relevant authorities to carry out their investigations upon the murder case.
“Chris was a man who gave himself to the service of his country, and its institutions. It is appropriate then, to let those institutions handle the investigation. We need them to bring the doers of this foul deed to justice. Careless speculation in this time of grief only makes the work of investigators harder, and it only adds to the pain of those who loved him,” said the president.
“This is not the time to allow tragedy such as this to divide us, to turn brother against brother,” he added.
At this point, President Kenyatta ordered provision of tight security to the IEBC staff and politicians.
Sources have unveiled that both the United States and Britain offered to help Kenya investigate the murder.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu
