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Uhuru Kenyatta

NAIROBI. — Kenya’s electoral commission has announced changes in its top personnel to oversee the running of the new presidential election on October 17.

A statement on Tuesday by Chairperson Wafula Chebukati named six officials to run the new vote that was ordered by the Supreme Court after it nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election. The appointments appear to be in response to opposition leader Raila Odinga’s demands for reforms to the electoral commission before the new election.

The court last week ruled in favour of Odinga after he claimed irregularities in the August 8 election. The decision shocked the country, with some observers calling it a first for Africa. The Kenyan opposition leader also continues to demand access to the electoral commission’s servers as ordered by the court.

In a separate development, suspected Al-Shabaab militants on Tuesday night brutally murdered four people in the restive Lamu County in Kenya’s coast, police confirmed yesterday. Regional police commander Larry Kieng said the four villagers were shot and then decapitated by armed militants who raided Hindi village.

“We had another attack in Hindi area where four people were shot and then slaughtered with knives by armed militants. It’s a very unfortunate incident but we have launched investigation,” Kieng told Xinhua.

The regional police commander said more security officers are pursuing the suspects who escaped towards Boni Forest which they have been using as their hideout. The area has been under attack in recent months by Al-Shabaab members hiding in Boni forest which is near the Somalia border.

The forest is used as recruitment and training ground for Al-Shabaab members. The government has enhanced security in the restive country following frequent attacks by the Islamist militants. — AP/Xinhua.