The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) could postpone elections in 31 areas if pending court cases in the zones are not resolved in time.
31 areas at risk of election postponement IEBC says
Some of the pending cases include that of Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja and Mike Sonko
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The commission’s chairperson Wafula Chebukati says the printing of ballot papers could be stalled if the Judiciary doesn’t deal with the cases quickly urging the courts to expedite the hearings and reach conclusions.
Chebukati said if the Judiciary doesn’t meet the commission’s timelines it will be forced to suspend the elections in the select areas.
“I want to urge the Judiciary to finalise them (cases). If for any reason they are not finalised in good time, then as a commission, we cannot wait forever, we shall be forced to suspend elections in those areas where decisions that affect the printing of ballot papers are made because we cannot wait forever,” said Chebukati.
Nairobi, Mombasa and Kiambu counties are among the counties likely to face the suspension If the judiciary doesn’t meet the commission’s timelines.
Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) where the IEBC met election stakeholders and committed to peaceful elections, Chebukati affirmed that the results from the polling stations will be final adding that the media will have access to both the tallying and polling stations.
“We must work with the media and we have had meetings with the Kenya Union of Journalists and we have come up with a memorandum of understanding where we agreed to allow the media into the tallying centre and the polling stations. Remember the results at the polling stations are final,” he remarked.
On Thursday July 7, IEBC received the first batch of ballot papers expected to be used in the upcoming General Elections. The commission refuted claims that some of the papers came from Uganda. The commission further said that no extra ballot papers were going to be printed.
The commission is expected to fly representatives of candidates, election observers, representatives of the media and representatives of the clergy to Greece where the ballot papers are being printed for inspection.
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