The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), on Tuesday, October 15, issued a statement summoning ODM chairman John Mbadi, following campaign chaos in Kibra.
In a statement released by the IEBC, ODM supporters were accused of attacking the Jubilee candidate for the Kibra parliamentary seat, McDonald Mariga. The IEBC accused them of disrupting Jubilee campaigns and vandalising Mariga's campaign vehicle.
The statement went on to accuse ODM leaders of instigating chaos and planning to disrupt the November 7 by-election in Kibra.
IEBC accused the party on grounds of breach of the electoral code of conduct and the 2nd schedule of the Elections Act 2011.
The summon comes after Mariga filed a complaint against ODM stating that the attack was well orchestrated and executed by the opposition party.
Mbadi was required to file a response against the complaint within 24 hours. "Should you fail to file a response and enter an appearance within the time mentioned above, the complaint will be heard and determined in your absence." the letter read.
The hearing of the complaint was set for Friday, October 18, 2019 at 10 AM.
On Saturday, October 12, Mariga's campaign convoy was stoned by rowdy youth in Kibra. The assailants attacked his campaign vehicle and went on to set its tyres ablaze in an adjacent road, beside a Mariga campaign billboard.
The vehicle, branded with Mariga's portrait and Jubilee's trademark colours (yellow and red), had its windows smashed and its boot destroyed forcing the Jubilee aspirant to flee the scene. Jubilee party secretary general Raphael Tuju condemned the act and termed the incident unfortunate.
The chaos came a few days after ODM wrote a petition to the electoral commission to open an internal investigation into vote-rigging claims, raising the stakes in the Kibra by-election.
Embakasi legislator Babu Owino has however refuted accusations linking ODM to the attack on Mariga's car. While addressing Kibra residents, Babu fingered Jubilee for vandalising the car themselves in an attempt to garner sympathy votes.
