KUSO Tells Police to Protect Petitioners in The Presidential Polls Case

The Kenya Universities Students Organization (KUSO) has urged the National Police Service to accords security to all Petitioners in the presidential suit before the Supreme Court.

Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the organisation’s President Antony Manyara further called for a voter audit to determine the truth on discrepancies of votes announced at polling station and those in forms 34A, 34B.

Full Statement

KUSO’S STATEMENT ON THE ONGOING PRESIDENTIAL POSITION

Greetings ladies and gentlemen,

Like everybody else, students have been closely following the events leading to the 2022 August 9th elections and had high hopes that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC, would take cue from the previous elections and the contestations thereafter, and deliver to Kenyans a free, fair, credible and verifiable election.

However, like everyone else, the students’ fraternity is shocked, disgusted and nauseated by the underwhelming performance of the IEBC in the just concluded election that has been petitioned by a record number of disgruntled parties. Obvious mistakes and shortcomings by IEBC point to a process that fall short of the expected minimum in a democratic election.

They include:

• Division of commissioners, secrecy in printing and receiving of election materials into the country
• Glaring mistakes in the printing of ballot papers leading to the cancellation and postponement of elections in two counties and several constituencies. Goes without saying that such mistakes may have affected Presidential Elections.
• A widespread failure of KIEMS kit countrywide that affected thousands of voters and most prominently, even presidential candidate Prof. George Wajackoyah who had to wait for hours to eventually vote.
• A damning report by Kenya’s chief investigative body, DCI, pointing to a well- coordinated inside job to grant unauthorized access of IEBC’s systems to unauthorized persons to alter the results and direct the outcome of the election.

• Failure to learn from lessons of the 2017 presidential petition. In his judgment, Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga clarified that an election is a process and not an event.

The IEBC Chair and his two commissioners self-admit in their own affidavits that their focus was on the events of the last material day of announcing the result. What of the days, weeks, and months before?

It must be noted that IEBC’s failure to deliver a free, fair, and credible election not only affects the election contenders but has had grievous effects on the school calendar as well as businesspeople who have been dragged several steps back, and Kenyans in different sectors of the economy.

In light of such glaring shortfalls by IEBC, we, student leaders, as forefront defenders of the constitution, support our affiliate organization, the Youth Advocacy Africa, YAA, in its bold and courageous bid to seek legal redress over IEBC’s apparent intentional moves to bungle the election and predetermine its outcome.

Further, we therefore issue the following ultimatums and sets of demands:

• That the DCI commences a thorough forensic audit of the IEBC KIEMS kits and entire systems to determine the extent of infiltration and effect on the presidential results.
• That a voter audit commences to determine the truth regarding alleged discrepancies of votes announced at the polling station and those recorded in the form 34As and 34Bs and speedily prosecute those involved in any mischief identified.
• The IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati issues a public apology over his emotional and diversionary affidavit that doesn’t address the issues raised on his conduct as the commission’s chairman but engages in wild name calling and fairy tale recounting of the dreams, he had at 3.02am.
• That the National Police Service accords security to all Petitioners in the presidential petition before the supreme court.
• The public figures and lawyers who have missed opportunities in the case such as Ahmednassir Abdullahi cease from propagating personalized social media attacks on the supreme court judges on social media. Comrades are watching and will act.

• That any attacks to the judiciary, belittlement of the judges and attempts to interfere with the ongoing case from any quarters will be met with the full force of comradeship. Comrades don’t fear teargas. Comrades power!

Lastly, please note that KUSO’s elections are held on the first Thursday of every April as the KUSO constitution clearly stipulates and currently, there is neither a notice nor motion of removal of the KUSO President or any other official by any council member or student leader from any university within the Kenyan republic. Our focus, resolve and determination to serve students will not be distracted and we will continue to discharge our duties without favor nor fear even in the face of spirited attempts by agents of Satan to distract us.

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