As Kenya prepared for the 2017 general elections, Chris Msando, the ICT Manager of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), who was also the acting deputy ICT director, was raising awareness about the integrity and security of the country’s electoral process.
At that time, the main contenders for the presidency were former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the leader of the opposition, and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who led the Jubilee Party, which had transitioned from the Jubilee Coalition to a formal party.
Msando frequently appeared in media interviews to explain the electronic systems utilised by the IEBC, including biometric voter identification and the electronic transmission of results.
He emphasised the robustness and reliability of these systems, assuring citizens that they would ensure free, fair, and credible elections.
Msando Found Murdered
In a television interview on NTV’s AM Live morning show from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Friday, July 28 2017, Msando assured Kenyans that the electoral systems were secure and that there would be no rigging, hacking, or manipulation of votes.
However, on Sunday, July 30, 2017, the IEBC, led by then Chairman Wafula Chebukati, announced on social media that Msando was missing. They stated they were working with police and his family to locate him.
His family had filed a missing person’s report at the Embakasi Police Station on July 29, 2017. The Commission revealed that he had gone missing on Friday, July 28, 2017, with his last communication being an SMS sent to a colleague around 3 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2017.
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As the family and police searched for the ICT Manager, Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria posted on his Facebook page, including an image of Msando’s car, and claimed to know of Msando’s whereabouts, suggesting he was with a female companion while the country searched for him.
“So this is Chris Msando’s vehicle right now here at Roysambu. The idiot is enjoying sweet time with a woman. And the story was that he is privy to ‘rigging’ and he can’t be found. Verily, verily I say unto you, Raila. You will not burn this country. Not when I am alive,” Kuria wrote.
Later, Kuria defended himself, stating that he had been tipped off about the vehicle’s location by members of the public while attending a function in Murang’a with Sabina Chege. He further claimed that he informed the Kasarani police commander and accompanied the police to the site, denying any involvement in Msando’s death.
President Uhuru Urges Investigative Agencies to Expedite Probe on IEBC Official Death
Msando’s vehicle, a grey Land Rover Discovery, was found abandoned near Thika Road Mall (TRM) in Roysambu, Nairobi, on the night of Sunday, July 30, 2017, and was towed to Kasarani Police Station for fingerprint analysis.
On Monday, July 31, 2017, Chris Msando’s body was discovered in a thicket in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, alongside the body of KMTC student Carol Ngumbu. His death sparked widespread outrage, with many Kenyans calling for a swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding it.
During a visit to condole with Msando’s family at their residence, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga stated, “No one has the right to tear at the fabric of life which another man has painfully woven for himself and his children. Msando’s death has degraded our nation.”
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President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his deep shock and sadness over the brutal murders of Msando and Carol Ngumbu.
He said, “We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of Chris Msando and Carol Ngumbu. I join in prayer with their families and with every Kenyan of goodwill. Chris was a man who dedicated himself to the service of his country and its institutions.”
Furthermore, Uhuru urged Kenyans to avoid speculation and allow investigative agencies to bring those responsible for the murders to justice.
To date, no one has ever been arrested, charged or arraigned in court in connection with Msando’s death.
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