The Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI) has exposed questionable circumstances that led to the arrest of three Venezuelans at JKIA who were found in the possession of election materials, putting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on the spotlight over the glaring mistakes.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on July 24, the commission identified the trio as Jose Gregorio Camargo Castellanos, Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Salvador Javier Sosa Suare.
First to be detained was Carmago on July 21, 2022 after airport security staff detected questionable items in his personal luggage.
Sleuths became even more concerned when the suspect confessed that the sensitive election material was destined for a private office in Nairobi and wondered why there was no official from the electoral agency to receive the material.
A thorough inspection saw detectives unearth 17 rolls of stickers targeted to serve various polling stations estimated to be 10,000 in number and mostly spread across ten counties in Rift Valley and the Mount Kenya region.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati receiving the first batch of ballot papers at JKIA on July 7, 2022
The counties in question, including Nairobi are:-
- Kiambu
- Nakuru
- Meru
- Machakos
- Murang’a
- Bomet
- Nyeri
- Tharaka Nithi
- Nyandarua
- Kericho
“The suspect confessed that he was given the materials from Panama by his company M/S Smartmatic International Holding B.V.
READ: Nairobi tops list of 6 counties likely to experience election violence [Full List]
“The officers were shocked how a foreigner all the way from Venezuela, Panama, Turkey to Nairobi contracted for a very sensitive and high-level service by supposedly IEBC had nobody waiting for him and in particular to receive the sensitive confidential materials which were supposed to be in secure custody after confirmation and reception by the procuring entity,” read the statement released by the DCI in part.
Police also retrieved personal laptop, a personal monitor, five flash discs, one mobile phone and assorted personal computer accessories.
The detectives became even more concerned when after detaining Carmago, two other Venezuelans (Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Salvador Javier Sosa Suarez) came to pick him rather than IEBC officials and this widened the net even further.
According to the statement signed by DCI boss George Kinoti, other IEBC staffers earlier on disowned the three Venezuelans, raising questions on their mission.
“We find the Chairperson. Mr. Wafula Chebukati to be insincere and dishonest by declaring people who have been disowned by his own staff as IEBC personnel. Chebukati’s statement, was well choreographed, planned and strategically crafted to raise an alarm by sensationalizing a false statement to sway the masses who are the public to believe that the police arbitrarily arrested and harassed IEBC personnel.
“It was an attempt aimed at intimidating and blackmailing security agencies and other stakeholders against playing their rightful role,” stated Kinoti.
