Protesters light bonfires in Kisumu on October 2 during demonstrations
called by the opposition Nasa to demand the resignation of IEBC
officials accused of bungling the August 8 presidential election. PHOTO |
ONDARI OGEGA | NMG 
Police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters calling
for sacking of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)
officials before the re-run of a contested presidential vote later this
month.
Hundreds of opposition protesters in Nairobi,
Kisumu and Mombasa demonstrated near IEBC offices, disrupting businesses
on nearby streets already suffering from reduced orders.
Opposition
leader Raila Odinga is pushing for widespread IEBC reforms including
the sacking of its chief executive Ezra Chiloba.
Mr Odinga says he will not participate in the October 26 election unless the demands are met.
In Nairobi, police fired tear gas canisters whenever protesters gathered.
In Mombasa, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered peacefully and were not confronted by police.
In the opposition stronghold of Kisumu, demonstrators erected barricades and burned tyres before police dispersed them.
Supreme Court judges, in annuling the August 8 polls, ruled that the election was “neither transparent nor verifiable”.
The
prolonged election period has slowed economic growth with the
government lowering its forecast to 5.5 per cent due to political
uncertainty.
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