A senior government official says all members of Kenya’s electoral commission have resigned ahead of next year’s presidential election, after waves of opposition protests called for them to go.
Joseph Kinyua, the president’s chief of staff, said on Wednesday that President Uhuru Kenyatta had received the resignation letters of the 10 commissioners, including the chairperson.
At least five people died when police opened fire at opposition supporters who held a series of demonstrations in July to demand the commissioners’ resignation, accusing them of bias and corruption.
Under pressure from opposition and civil society, the government offered the commissioners a hefty settlement to leave office.
Rights groups have questioned why the government had to pay commissioners accused of having links to corruption.
