Stop these senseless deaths, Akombe says after IEBC staffer’s puzzling death
Roselyn Akombe, a former commissioner at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has spoken over the latest death of an official of the agency.
While conveying her message of condolences to the family of Geoffrey Gitobu, who died on Monday, Dr Akombe said that it is high time the country stopped these senseless deaths.
“No words describe the pain of yet another loss of a public servant serving his country. Lost for words to condole the family of Mr Gitobu and the IEBC staff. While we await the cause of this sudden death, it is time to stop these senseless incidents,” Akombe posted on her official social media accounts.
Mr Gitobu was the returning officer in Gichugu Constituency, Kirinyaga County and had taken days off when he decided to visit IEBC offices in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, on Monday, August 22, 2022 where he collapsed and died.
He was rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. His death was announced by Ms Jane Gitonga who is the Kirinyaga County IEBC boss.
On Tuesday, police dismissed claims that Mr Gitobu was killed as asked politicians to stop spreading propaganda.
Mr Onesmus Towett, the Laikipia County Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, said that police were treating the matter as a “sudden death” as they waited for the postmortem to be undertaken.
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Nairobi News has established that the postmortem will take place on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
Mr Gitobu becomes the second IEBC to die under unclear circumstances following the conclusion of the August 9 General Election.
On Monday last week, Daniel Musyoka, who was Embakasi East Returning Officer was found dead after he had been reported missing the previous Friday night.
His body was found by herders in Kilombero forest in Kajiado at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro .
Police officers from Loitoktok, Kajiado South sub-county were alerted over the presence of the body of a middle-aged man in forest.
Mr Musyoka, 53, vanished after he stepped out to answer a phone call at the Embakasi East tallying centre at the East Africa School of Aviation.
An autopsy done at Oloitokitok Sub-County Hospital later showed that the body of the deceased neither gunshot wounds nor scars.
It has since emerged that the slain officer had indicated to a close family member that he feared for his life just a few days before he was reported missing.
According to Mr Nicholas Musyoka, a cousin of the deceased, the late Mr Musyoka had informed him that all was not well and he was planning to go into hiding.