The electoral agency will proceed to declare the results of the Kimilili parliamentary seat despite the incumbent MP Didmus Barasa being on the run for suspected murder, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chair Wafula Chebukati has said.
Mr Chebukati, who was giving an update on the ongoing vote tallying at the National Tallying Centre in the Bomas of Kenya, spoke shortly after Mr Barasa’s rivals appealed to the commission not to declare the results of the Kimilili parliamentary seat.
According to Mr Chebukati, no law requires the commission to withhold results in a situation such as this. Mr Barasa is currently on the run after he allegedly shot and killed Brian Olunga, the aide of his rival in the Kimilili race, Bryan Khaemba.
“I just read in the media of the incident in Kimilili but everything will continue and results will be read. That is a criminal matter and I believe the law will take its course. We will only come after conviction but I believe justice will prevail,” Mr Chebukati said.
Earlier, while addressing the media, Mr Khaemba said he would move to court to stop IEBC if the commission does not cancel the results.
He said that his agents and voters fled from most of the polling stations out of fear following the incident.
“We are being told that he is in hiding and waiting for Ruto to win the elections so he can protect him. That won't happen,” he said.
Former Kimilili MP Suleiman Murunga, who was also jostling for the seat as an independent, asked Mr Chebukati to nullify the parliamentary election and call for a repeat election at a later date.
Speaking to the media at his home Mr Murunga said the shooting incident on Tuesday evening was uncalled for and had portrayed Mr Barasa as an evil leader.
“We want Mr Chebuati to call off these results of Kimilili MP seat since what happened was an electoral offence,” he said.
Area county commissioner, Mr Samuel Kimiti, and county DCI Boss Mr Joseph Ondoro said they had given the MP 24 hours to surrender to the police. Mr Barasa openly shot his rival’s bodyguard and aide Bryan Olunga at Chebukwabi polling centre when the two bumped into each other.
Mr Khaemba, an aspirant on the DAP-K party, had gone to the Chebukwabi polling station to witness the counting of the votes when he met the incumbent MP.
The MP followed his opponent when he was leaving the station. Mr Barasa, in the company of four men, tried to block him from leaving but Mr Khaemba defied him and asked his driver to leave forcing the MP to withdraw his pistol.
Mr Barasa, who was defending his seat on a UDA ticket, aimed his pistol at Mr Khaemba’s aide and shot him in the forehead. He was pronounced dead at Kimilili Sub-County Hospital.
The MP’s last phone signal was picked up around at Cheptais area in Mt Elgon and is suspected to have fled to a neighbouring country.
On Wednesday irate youths held protests at St Luke's Kimilili Boys High School where the constituency tallying was taking place demanding justice for Mr Olunga.
