MP Alice Wahome on the Spot for Physically Attacking IEBC Returning Officer

Kandara MP Alice Wahome on Friday caused drama at the constituency tallying center after she engaged Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) returning officer in a physical over repeat presidential election result declaration form.

Reports indicate that the MP attacked Martin Malonza, the Kandara Constituency Returning Officer at Ng’araria Girls Secondary School after he declined to have her sign Form 34B, being the Jubilee Party’s chief agent in the area.

However, Malonza claims that he had waited for Ms Wahome for hours to come and append her signature on the form, but the MP only turned up when he was about to leave the station to take the results to the national tallying centre in Nairobi.

“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. He said the MP attacked him and stopped him from leaving the center.

Wahome, however denied attacking the officials and turned the blame on him.

“I did not harass him, that is not harassment. I was merely checking on the results to verify what had been recorded for the Jubilee candidate. I asked him calmly then he started shouting at me, who does that?” Mrs Wahome questioned. “He was very rude and did not want to be asked any questions. What I did is not outside the law and it is prejudicial of IEBC to issue a statement which I have not seen by the way asking for my arrest. The returning officer was supposed to sit and explain in a calm manner not causing drama that way,” she added.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the electoral commission called for action be taken on the Kandara MP for harassing the Returning Officer in drama that was captured on video.

“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 an IEBC statement posted on their Twitter handle.

The Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko on Saturday ordered for the arrest of the MP over the incident.