Carter Center Offers Condolences to Family of Msando; Stresses Need for Security and KIEMS Testing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, [email protected]
In Nairobi, Don Bisson, [email protected]

NAIROBI — The Carter Center International Observation Mission in Kenya offers its condolences to the family of Mr. Christopher Msando, ICT manager at Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The Center’s technical experts enjoyed a productive relationship with Mr. Msando and are personally saddened by the loss.

“We all wish to honor Mr. Msando’s dedication to transparent elections,” said former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “Security for the elections and all election administrators throughout the electoral process is paramount for the conduct of credible and democratic elections. We hope that his death will not have a chilling effect on voters and electoral authorities.”

Secretary Kerry and former Senegalese Prime Minister Aminata Touré will arrive in Nairobi soon to co-lead the Carter Center’s short-term observation delegation.

“We urge Kenyan authorities to provide full protection for the IEBC and their professional staff so that they can continue preparations for the elections without fear for their safety,” Touré said.

The Carter Center joins with other stakeholders in urging an independent and comprehensive investigation into Mr. Msando’s death. The Center further implores politicians to refrain from politicizing this event. Attacks on the IEBC and other independent institutions, whether verbal or physical, remain an unacceptable form of public discourse.

The Carter Center also encourages the IEBC to go forward with the nationwide KIEMS test now scheduled for Wednesday. The success of KIEMS remains an essential step toward increasing stakeholder confidence in the election.

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A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.