Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) officials and supporters, led by their lead Raila Odinga, failed to stage a sit-in at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission offices at Anniversary Towers after being tear-gassed by anti-riot police.
The Opposition had resolved on Saturday to embark on the mission as one of the ways of expressing their discontentment and lack of confidence in the electoral commission.
It was their latest efforts to push out the Issack Hassan-led team and pave the way for the appointment of a body that is acceptable across the political divide. The coalition accuses IEBC of rigging elections in favour of Jubilee in the 2013 polls whose presidential outcome was contested at the Supreme Court.
“They are yet to give an audit of the last elections that they bungled, we are not fools to go back to the same slaughterhouse. Never,” Mr Odinga said at a rally in Kamukunji on Saturday. Anti-riot police had earlier been deployed outside the Commission’s offices.
Nairobi County Police Commander Japheth Koome said Cord will not be allowed into the IEBC offices.
Police stood guard as Cord supporters blew whistles and chanted “bado mapambano” outside the building before police threw tear gas canisters to disperse the rowdy crowd on University Way.
Nonetheless, operations at the IEBC went on as usual though they could not use the building’s main entrances for they were sealed.
