'Votes are protected', IEBC dismisses Gachagua's rigging claims in Ol Kalou by-election

In a press briefing on Thursday, IEBC Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan expressed confidence in the large security detail deployed at the polling stations and noted that the votes will be counted following the conclusion of the voting process. 

"There's no question of protection of votes. They are protected. We have adequate security officers deployed in all polling stations. Once the votes have been cast and the time ends, the votes will be counted," he stated. 

"We appeal to Ol Kalou residents not to be incited by anybody. wait for your votes to be counted at the polling station and you'll know the results in a short time."

He also weighed in on the viral videos showing armed men driving in marked cars while reigning terror on Ol Kalou residents, noting that any security operation outside of the police command will be dealt with. 

"Our security are well organised and under the police command. Anybody else outside that formation have been reported to the police commander and therefore we don't subscribe to hooded personalities and marked cars," Hassan remarked. 

His words were echoed by Commissioner Ann Nderitu who dismissed reports of parallel tallying centres, reaffirming that IEBC is the official body mandated by law to declare results. 

"There's only electoral management body called IEBC which has the right to declare results and winners. People can tally but the official results must only be declared by IEBC," he noted. 

IEBC's remarks come as Gachagua had appealed to Ol Kalou residents to barricade polling stations from armed goons seeking to storm the polling stations. 

"I am calling on the people of Ol Kalou all of them who voted, to go back to the polling stations and fortify and barricade them to ensure the will of people isn't subverted," he appealed. 

"I am not convinced that when Ruto sent police officers to Haiti, the intention was never to help them but to benchmark and learn how to work with criminals and goons to assist him to be re-elected."