This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/kenyan-election-official-christopher-msando-dead-before-national-vote
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Kenyan election official 'tortured and murdered' days before national vote | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A senior Kenyan election official has been found dead with signs of torture three days after he went missing, prompting fears of potential disruption in national elections in August. | |
| The chairman of Kenya’s electoral commission said he had helped identify the body of Christopher Msando at the city morgue, adding that it appeared to be a murder because of injuries to his neck and head. | The chairman of Kenya’s electoral commission said he had helped identify the body of Christopher Msando at the city morgue, adding that it appeared to be a murder because of injuries to his neck and head. |
| “There was no doubt he was tortured and murdered. The only question in our mind is who (killed him) and why he was killed a few days to elections,” Wafula Chebukati, the electoral commission chairman, told reporters. | |
| A mortuary employee said Msando’s body was brought in by police on Saturday alongside that of a woman. Both were naked and appeared to have been tortured before their bodies were dumped in a forest in Kiambu outside Nairobi. | |
| It was unclear why it took 48 hours for the body to be identified. | |
| Msando was the head of information, communication and technology for the electoral board, in charge of managing information technology systems. | Msando was the head of information, communication and technology for the electoral board, in charge of managing information technology systems. |
| Chebukati said he was crucial to the running of the vote scheduled for 8 August. Kenya will be using biometric technology to identify voters and electronic transmission of results, which reduces the chances of fraud. | |
| Msando’s death should be “urgently” investigated, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. | |
| “Msando’s killing comes as the electoral management body was due to audit its systems, a week away from the election day,” said Africa researcher Otsieno Namwaya. | |
| The opposition alliance condemned the “heinous murder” of Msando, saying in a statement it was “gravely concerned” about its implications. | |
| “That no effort was made to camouflage this killing as an accident shows the determination of the killers to send a chilling message that they will stop at nothing to ensure the outcome they desire,” the statement said. | |
| The opposition has accused the president, Uhuru Kenyatta, of wanting to rig the elections, which his office has denied. | The opposition has accused the president, Uhuru Kenyatta, of wanting to rig the elections, which his office has denied. |
| Analysts have warned that violence could mar the vote, in which Kenyatta is running again. | Analysts have warned that violence could mar the vote, in which Kenyatta is running again. |