A few hours before the testing of the ICT equipment for the general elections in Kenya, the ICT manager at Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chris Musando was found dead in the outskirts of Nairobi. According to the police, Msando was murdered and his body mutilated.
Musando was in charge of the ICT Infrastructure at the electoral body and was seen on many media stations speaking on the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System, a new system that was to be superior to the technology used in 2013.
The KIEMS is responsible for identifying voters through biometric and transmitting election results.
The launch of the simulation exercise for the ICT equipment, originally scheduled for 3pm yesterday,was postponed by IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati.
Chebukati told media outside the City Mortuary in Nairobi a few hours ago that Musando's death came as a shock.
"We learned with shock, the killing and murder of Mr Musando. There is no doubt that he was tortured and murdered. I know a post mortem will be done. In our mind as a Commission the only issue is who killed him and why. That is a question we need answered."
The use of ICT has been a contentious issue with the IEBC having to lay bare their ICT strategy and infrastructure to ensure a free, fair and credible election. The KIEMS is at the centre of the ICT strategy by the electoral body and was supposed to be subjected to a dry run today with all stakeholders.
Chebukati called on the government to give security to all IEBC workers and that he will announce a new date for the KIEMS simulation exercise.
In May another ICT manager, James Muhati was sent on a compulsory leave by the IEBC for allegedly refusing to have the ICT systems audited. Musando was subsequently appointed as Acting ICT manager.
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