KENYA: Election head: No guarantee vote will be free and fair

The head of Kenya’s election commission said on Wednesday he could not guarantee next week’s presidential election will be free and fair, citing interference from politicians and threats of violence against his colleagues.

Wafula Chebukati’s statement came hours after another commission member resigned and left the country, saying she and her staff had been repeatedly threatened. “Ironically, the very people, political leaders, who are supposed to build the nation have become the greatest threat to the peace and stability of the nation,” Chebukati told journalists.

Kenyatta on Wednesday restated his commitment to the poll, but Odinga called for a mass protest on election day – raising the prospect of confrontations between protesters and voters.

Commission head Chebukati said technical preparations for the new poll were on course, but his attempts to make “critical changes”, notably to staff, had been defeated by a majority of commissioners.