Spate of mysterious disappearances, deaths of IEBC officers after polls
There has been a spate of the mysterious disappearance and untimely deaths of Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officers soon after the just concluded general election.
IEBC officials are mourning the death of Gichugu Constituency Returning Officer Geoffrey Gitobu.
Confirmed reports indicate that Gitobu collapsed and died yesterday outside the IEBC offices in Nanyuki, Laikipia county.
At the time of his sudden death, he had taken a three-day off from his workplace in Kirinyaga to visit his family in Nanyuki.
Gitobu will be remembered for his intervention to restore calm after chaos erupted at Kirinyaga Boys’ High School tallying centre.
The post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of his death.
Laikipia county Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) boss Onesmus Towett dispel rumours around the death of Gitobu stating that it was a sudden death and not murder.
Prior to Gitobu’s death Chukam, Igamba Ng’ombe Returning officer went missing last evening.
In another case, Embakasi East Returning officer Daniel Mbolu went missing on August 11 after he excused himself to make a phone call around 9.45 am.
However, on Monday evening, a male body was retrieved from a river near Kiombero Forest in Loitoktok, Kajioado county.
“The body of the victim has visible injuries. We suspect the deceased is aged between 40 and 50,” Police boss Kipruto Ruto said.
Later, the body was identified to be that of the missing IEBC Returning Officer.
“The body of the deceased, vide my earlier OB no 20/15/08/2022 has been identified as of one Daniel Mbolu Musyoka by his sisters, namely Mary Mwikali and Ann Mboya at Loitokitok sub-county mortuary,” a police report indicated.
In a CCTV footage that is likely to give a lead to the detectives, Musyoka can be seen having a conversation with a lady in front of an entertainment joint in El Toro, Tassia.
The place is just a few metres from the exit gate that the IEBC official used to leave the tallying centre.
He is also said to have met with one of his clerks at the place. His last phone signal was tracked to Mihango before it was switched off. He is said to have called someone through a WhatsApp call with whom they had a short conversation before the phone went off.
Meanwhile, the presiding officer at the Towheed polling centre in Elnur Tula Tula ward, Eldas constituency was shot by unknown persons on election day and had his leg amputated.
Mohamed Kanyare was rushed to Wajir County Hospital after he suffered gunshot wounds at the Eldas Constituency Development Fund (CDF) offices on August 10.
According to his close friend, Kanyare was stopped and asked to enter a car. He was then asked to alter form 35A in favour of one of the candidates but he declined.
The elections were aborted after chaos erupted following a dispute on how the electoral agency had hired presiding officers and their deputies.
On the other hand, Akombe has also been at the forefront in advocating for justice for the late IEBC ICT manager Chris Msando, who also died in a similar circumstance.
