IEBC wants Jubilee MP punished for electoral offence

The electoral commission wants Kandara Member of Parliament, Alice Wahome, punished for harassing a Returning Officer in an incident that was caught on video.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Saturday morning, IEBC said that the actions by the Murang’a politician on Friday afternoon was an act of intimidation of election officials and constituted an electoral offence.

“We take great exception the manner in which MP Alice Wahome harassed an IEBC official performing his duties. Such is an electoral offence that must be punished,” reads the statement.

If convicted, Wahome may face a fine not exceeding Ksh. 500,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years, according to the Election Offences Act (2016).

This comes a day after Wahome was captured on a camera phone in a scuffle with Kandara Returning Officer, Martin Malonza.

Reports say the Kandara MP was trying to prevent Malonza from leaving the Ng’araria Girls Secondary School polling station while insisting that as the Jubilee party agent in the area, she had to sign the Form 34B  before it was delivered to Bomas of Kenya, the national tallying center.

Malonza blamed the legislator of not having been present when it was time to sign the form forcing him to wait for her for hours before eventually indicating on the form that the agent was not available.

“When the MP did not arrive after waiting for more than three hours, I decided to indicate on the form that the party agent was nowhere to be found. This is because I had to deliver the form at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on time,” said Malonza.