I did not eat the chicken, IEBC Chief

The Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Issack Hassan has maintained his innocence over the 'chicken' scandal.

Speaking when he appeared before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Mr Hassan said that he was neither a suspect nor a witness in the chicken scandal.

Said he: "Due process should be followed in finding the culprits instead of smear campaigns against those mentioned in the media."

The case involves the defunct Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), headed by Issack Hassan and Commissioner Davis Chirchir, now the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Ministry of Energy.

The two are accused of receiving Sh50 million in bribe between 1 October, 2008 and 31 December,2010 in order to award a tender to Smith and Ouzman to print election papers.

SUSPECT DEALINGS

The scandal was unearthed after a four-year investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) whose forensic audit into various deals involving Smith and Ouzman executives pointed to suspect dealings with Kenya's electoral body.

The audit firm retrieved email exchanges between S&0 and IIEC, shipping invoices and local purchase orders that prove corruption in the allocation of the tender.

Nicholas Charles Smith was jailed for three years by the Southwark Crown Court while his father Christopher John Smith was sentenced to 18-month suspended term for his role in the scandal.

Other officials set to appear before the commission in connection with the scandal are Energy Cabinet Secretary David Chirchir and former IEBC Chief Executive James Oswago.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) former boss Paul Wasanga has also been named in the scandal.

By Benjamin Wafula