IEBC CEO Issues Demand To Govt Over Murder Of Senior Official

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has released a statement following the gruesome murder of 48-year-old Aisha Akinyi Abubakar, the Acting North Coast Regional Election Manager, in Mombasa County.

IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan on Monday, January 6 revealed that the commission received reports that Aisha was killed on the night of January 4, 2025, at her house in Utange, Kisauni Constituency, Mombasa County. The commission pledged to support Aisha's family during their period of mourning.

"She was attacked alongside her son who sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving attention and treatment.

"The IEBC fraternity is saddened by her death and expresses its deepest condolences to Ms Aisha’s family, friends and colleagues for the tragic loss. The IEBC assures the family and friends that it will journey with them during this period of profound sorrow," Marjan stated, confirming previous reports of the incident.

Slain 48-year-old Aisha Akinyi Abubakar, the Acting North Coast Regional Election Manager. /FILE

Condemning the act, Marjan urged security agencies to expedite investigations and bring those responsible to justice.

"The Commission is deeply concerned by this horrendous incident and condemns the perpetrators behind Ms Aisha’s death. As we condole with the family of Ms Aisha, we call on the country’s security agencies to speedily investigate this heinous occurrence and apprehend her killers," Marjan remarked.

The deceased joined IEBC in 2012 as a Constituency Elections Coordinator for Nyali and was first deployed to Kilifi South. She later rose through the ranks to the position of Acting County Elections Manager for Kilifi County.

"Ms Aisha was a well-trained officer who performed all her duties with utmost honesty, integrity and dedication," Marjan added.

Whereas the motive of the murder remains unclear, Aisha's family strongly believed that this robbery with violence was deliberate, given the items that were stolen during the incident. The family had affirmed that the late Kilifi election manager was targeted in the attack.

Speaking on Sunday, January 5, at a press briefing updating the public on what happened, her brother Ruadh Said revealed that while the robbers did not steal much during the incident, they stole documents belonging to the IEBC.

According to Aisha's brother, the robbers managed to jump over two security walls before getting to the main gate and passing over the security guard. Apart from the documents, the two robbers also stole a TV set.

"This death has shocked us, we went to the scene of the incident and found that they jumped over two walls and got into the house. They cut the dining grill and stormed into the house and conducted the heinous attack," Said narrated.

"They didn't steal much, just a TV set, and tore an IEBC bag, stole the documents that were inside, then left the bag on the floor and left."

According to Abubakar Hassan, Aisha's son, the main aim of the robbers was to kill his mother. "Whatever has happened has happened. My mom was attacked while at her home in Utange, and the way it seems, the aim was just to finish her, and they have succeeded," Abubakar painfully narrated.

The suspects were reported to have cut the official on the head, just above the right eye, and proceeded to inflict wounds on her son's head as well.