ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna raised concern about the claims by President William Ruto on an alleged plot to kill outgoing chair of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 17, Sifuna took on Ruto, stating that his utterances were weighty.
He wondered whether the President would back his claims with more information once the official probe into the events that preceded the announcement of the election outcome is launched.
"Very grave allegations being made regarding what happened at Bomas in the lead up to the announcement of the Presidential result.
"I'm hoping the people making them will appear before the yet-to-be-formed commission of inquiry and provide the evidence backing these allegations," Sifuna stated.
His comments were reiterated by former presidential candidate Jimi Wanjigi, who asked the Head of State to launch an immediate inquiry and charge the perpetrators.
"What he said today was largely meaningless unless he is prepared to back it up by taking steps on the following alleged capital offences: attempted bribery of IEBC officials, threat to life of IEBC officials and family members and tempted murder of Chebukati," Wanjigi demanded.
Ruto made the remarks during an engagement forum with the constitutional commissions and independent offices at State House Nairobi.
"We know that there was a direct attempt to abduct Wafula Chebukati and murder him so that he commission would be paralysed, or a compliant commissioner takes over and subvert the people’s sovereignty," he claimed.
He added that this was the last resort after Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Molu Boya resisted other forms of coercion including bribery and intimidation.
On his part, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua assured Chebukati, Guliye and Molu that the government would offer them security even after their retirement.
The three commissioners' six-year term in office ended on January 17, 2023.
