Kenya’s electoral commission chief has paid tribute to a murdered poll official at his funeral, saying he paid “the ultimate price in the course of executing a key national duty”.
Wafula Chebukati was addressing those at the burial of Daniel Musyoka, who was the returning officer for the Embakasi East constituency in the capital, Kenya.
He went missing two days after the 9 August general election as Kenyans were awaiting the results of the vote.
Mr Musyoka’s tortured body was found the following week near Mt Kilimanjaro along Kenya’s southern border with Tanzania, some 200km (124 miles) from Nairobi.
Over the last few weeks, the electoral commission has been complaining about the intimidation and harassment of election officials.
Mr Chebukati told mourners at the gathering in Machakos County, Mr Musyoka’s rural home, that Kenya was not a failed state.
“We must refuse to believe that ours is a country where the rule of law can be suspended at will during the election period,” he said.
According to a series of tweets from the electoral commission, he urged the police and prosecuting authorities to put an end to crimes at general election by taking “immediate and conclusive action” against Mr Musyoka’s killers.
The Chairman Wafula Chebukati today led @IEBCKenya in condoling the family of the late Daniel Musyoka at his funeral held in Mwala Constituency. pic.twitter.com/QNn1nX6Jyi
— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) August 26, 2022
In 2017, a senior election official was found dead just days before the country went to the polls.
Source: BBC
