Kenyan president William Ruto has alleged there was a plot to assassinate the head of the country’s electoral commission Wafula Chebukati shortly before his poll victory was confirmed last year.President Ruto’s sensational claims came as he met officials of state commissions in his office in Nairobi on Tuesday.

According to Ruto, the plan which he claimed was ‘sanctioned at the top’ was to kidnap Mr. Chebukati and kill him before he could declare the winner of the presidential election last August.

Mr Ruto polled 50.5 percent of the vote, ahead of his challenger Raila Odinga who subsequently challenged the outcome in court.

In the lead up to declaring the winner, Chebukati had received several death threats but vowed that he would not waver from standing by the true wishes of Kenyans.

The electoral head was praised by Ruto for his bravery and ‘exemplary character’ which he said saved Kenya from the brink of political chaos.

Ruto said the rationale behind the plot to eliminate Chebukati was to paralyse the electoral commission ”and subvert the people’s sovereignty’.

He described the atmosphere which attended to the post-poll period as hard, cold …and dire, as the supposed originators of the plot promised lavish rewards for the act and exerted relentless pressure on electoral commission officials.

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta had backed his sworn political foe Odinga over Ruto who was his vice-president during his two terms in office.