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Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta

NAIROBI. – President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered “speedy investigations” into the murder of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ICT manager Chris Msando and Carol Ngumbu.

The president yesterday said his government was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the two killings. “Chris was a man who gave himself to the service of his country, and its institutions,” he said in a statement.

“It is appropriate, then, to let those institutions handle the investigation, the better to bring the doers of this foul deed to justice.” He urged Kenyans to stop speculating on the reason behind the two deaths and let investigators unravel them.

“Careless speculation in this time of grief only makes the work of investigators harder, and it only adds to the pain of those who loved him,” he said.

“Let us respect his (Chris’) life, his achievements, and his memory by allowing these investigations to proceed calmly. The Republic must secure the lives, the property, and the safety of its people – and it will.”

The country’s chief crime buster, Ndegwa Muhoro, on Monday said they were seized of the matter, and that they would do their best to bring the killers to book.

Meanwhile, the United States of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation and Britain’s Scotland Yard could be drafted into the investigation, that is if the Kenyan government accepts the offer of help extended by the US and Britain on Monday evening.

US ambassador Robert F Godec and British High Commissioner Nic Hailey condemned the killing and said they welcomed the government’s commitment to investigate the crime, adding: “We have offered our assistance in the investigation.”

As the investigations continue, President Kenyatta called for unity.

“This is not the time to allow a tragedy such as this to divide us, to turn brother against brother,” he said.

“In the face of death, we stand strong together: so that we can mourn a patriot; so that we can comfort his family and those he loved; and so that the ideal for which he lived – the free and fair choice of our leaders – is realised.”

President Kenyatta also directed that all IEBC commissioners be provided with adequate security around the clock a week to the general election.

“All presidential candidates and their running mates also need to have security to avert any excuses of postponing the elections,” President Kenyatta said during a Jubilee campaign rally.

The National Super Alliance has also condemned the killing of Msando and demanded a speedy investigation.

The Raila Odinga-led coalition had accused the Jubilee administration of remaining silent after the killing of the IEBC official. According to reports, the slain ICT manager died a painful death.

A cursory look at his remains revealed a possible struggle with his killers, who overpowered, hit and finished him. The body allegedly has visible injuries in the back and left side of his head and on his belly. Both hands have cut wounds and the right forearm is broken.

His face has no injury but fresh blood was oozing from the nose by Monday mid-morning. The neck also had many injuries, pointing to possible strangling and bludgeoning by his killer(s).

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday viewed Msando’s body and said it was clear “he had been tortured”.

He termed the death “murder” even as he agreed that a post-mortem had to be carried out to determine the cause of his death. “We demand to know who killed him and why,” Chebukati said in Nairobi.

He called on the government and police to reveal the killers of Msando.

The woman who was found dead together with Msando has since been identified. Her name is Carol Ngumbu (21), from Gachie, Kiambu County, and had just completed her studies at the Karen campus of Kenya Medical Training College.

Her mother, Alice Nduruka yesterday told the Nation that Carol was awaiting graduation this December. Nduruka described her daughter as a “very calm and peaceful child”.

“When she told me she was going out on Friday I did not expect I could receive such news,” she said. – Daily Nation.