3 Venezuelans Busted At JKIA Released After IEBC Uproar

UPDATE 9.34 am: The three computer experts from Venezuela who were arrested at JKIA with stickers related to the August 9 general elections have been released.

National Police Service (NPS) Spokesperson Bruno Shioso in a statement revealed that the foreigners were apprehended owing to the sensitivity of the materials in their possession.

"That the stickers were not accompanied by an IEBC official as per the routine procedure. That police, as per standard procedure and arrangement with IEBC were not notified of such an import beforehand to provide necessary security and escort. 

"The said stickers were not declared as per the law and such sensitive materials were carried in the personal luggage of a foreigner," Shioso stated, adding that the materials were bona fide property of the IEBC and indeed part of the election material.

The experts were released after investigations and probing by the law enforcement officers.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Wafula Chebukati has accused the government of intimidation after three computer experts from Venezuela were arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Thursday, July 21.

Chebukati, in a statement, revealed that the employees from Smartmatic International B.V, the company contracted by the commission to deploy electoral materials - KIEMS kits across the country, were arrested despite the commission revealing that they were in the country legally.

He further accused the government of enacting the arrest which he termed as “unjustified intimidation, harassment and blackmail”.

“The three personnel, who are employees of Smartmatic International B.V., were arrested upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from Venezuela. This is despite the Commission Secretary/CEO explaining to the security authorities that the three personnel were in the country to execute a lawful contract relating to the deployment of technology in elections.

"IEBC has a valid legal contract executed between itself and Smartmatic International B.V. for the supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, support and maintenance of the Kenya Integrated Election Management System," the commission stated in part.

IEBC further warned that the arrest had the potential of boosting a plot to sway the results of the upcoming August 9 general elections.

"Technology plays a central role in elections and the commission wonders what the intention behind the holding of the technical personnel is meant to achieve.

"IEBC wishes to inform the public that the arrest and continued holding of the personnel have the inevitable effect of hampering the deployment of technology in the forthcoming General Election," it added.

It demanded the unconditional release of the trio by the government even as police officers at JKIA wondered why the commission was placing its trust in foreigners to transport sensitive material usually placed under tight security.

Reports had initially indicated that the trio were arrested after being found with several rolls of election-related stickers in their luggage upon landing at JKIA. One of them was said to have had 17 rolls of election stickers for various constituencies in his bags.

The commission was initially denied access to election materials at the major airport, with security officials there assisting the IEBC to verify the stickers, a matter which raised questions among Kenyans.

A person showing an excerpt of an IEBC ballot paper. /BUSINESS DAILY

"Information circulating that government security agencies at JKIA have detained ballot papers allegedly imported into the country outside the indicated schedule of election materials is fake.

"The correct position is that today morning (July 21), the Commission received stickers to aid labelling and distribution of election materials. The JKIA security agencies in their normal procedure were trying to validate the stickers with the Commission," IEBC clarified.