NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – An official crucial to running Kenya’s presidential election next week has been found tortured and murdered after being reported missing days ago, the chairman of the electoral commission said Monday, as concerns grew that the East African nation’s vote again would face dangerous unrest.
Wafula Chebukati helped identify the body of Christopher Msando at the city morgue and said he had injuries to the neck and head.
“This is a brutal murder of our employee and we are demanding to know who killed him and why,” Chebukati said. “We are demanding government provide security to all IEBC (electoral commission) staff.”
Police did not immediately comment.
Msando had been in charge of managing information technology systems at the electoral commission. Kenya will be using biometric technology to identify voters and electronic transmission of results, which reduces the chances of fraud.
Msando had publicly sought to reassure voters that the election results would not be tampered with.
The opposition has charged that President Uhuru Kenyatta wants to rig the elections, an accusation the presidency has denied.
Analysts have warned that violence might accompany the hotly contested Aug. 8 vote in which Kenyatta is running again.
Chebukati said they have postponed a test run for technology to be used in the election, which had been scheduled for Monday, because Msando was crucial in the process.