An Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)meeting behind closed doors, brought the seven commissioners together again after the fallout to discuss the dates for by-elections.
After which Chairman of the electoral body Chebukati cleared the air on the dates for conduction of the elections as 29th August 2022, next Monday. The postponement was effected after misprints were witnessed in the ballot papers for the 9th August elections.
Elections were not conducted in various places on the 9th of August these involved; Kakamega and Mombasa gubernatorial seats, in Kitui Rural Constituency in Kitui County, Kacheliba Constituency in West Pokot County, Pokot South Constituency also in West Pokot County, and Rongai Constituency (Nakuru County) awaiting new members of Parliament.
The IEBC Chairman announced the new set date after an earlier cancellation of the set date that was to be 23rd August which the aspirants didn’t accept in various areas.
Candidates in Kakamega and Mombasa decried the move by the electoral body to further postpone the elections as demeaning of peoples’ rights that needed to be exercised.
According to Chebukati, there was a need to postpone the elections as there were claims of harassing and profiling of some of his members in the electoral body.
Citing these occurrences, the IEBC chairman insisted that his officials are in fear for their lives hence the need and sense of direction to postponement for everything to cool down.
However, the various aspirants in the regions called out the move as biased, one with a hidden agenda.
Some of the candidates opted to sue the electoral commission at the court led by Abdulswammad Nassir who is in the Mombasa gubernatorial race with the Azimio ticket calling for quickened processes to deliver the election free and fairly.
With the date set, the aspirants are left with few days to conduct of last touches in their campaigns seeking to woe their voters and supporters to come out in numbers on a particular day and vote.
