Anger as parties officials’ storm IEBC offices and threaten electoral officers

dennis kibet

March 22, 2017 11:32 AM

The officials demanded that the IEBC extend the March 27 deadline for parties to submit membership list.

Anti-riot Administration Police guard the IEBC offices at Anniversary Towers on June 6, 2016. Officials from smaller political parties on Tuesday stormed the offices.

Officials from over 30 smaller political parties on Tuesday stormed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.

They now want the dates to be revised to April 8.

Under Political Parties Liaison Committee, the officials accused the IEBC of changing the electoral timelines without proper consultations saying that this was hurting their operations.

The officials also threatened the IEBC officers saying that they belonged to jail for being in contempt of court.

According to a local daily, the officers stormed the chairman’s boardroom and took seats, strategising how they will “attack’ the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati.

Stormy meeting

The commission’s vice chair Consolata Nkatha was forced to meet the angry officials with her legal affairs team and apologised for having not been aware of any planned meeting.

After a stormy back and forth meeting between the party officials and IEBC officers, it was agreed that the commission will meet with the parties on Friday and communicate the outcome of the appeal to allow it advance its March 27 deadline.

Last week, IEBC extended the deadline for political parties to submit their membership lists from March 19th to March 27th.

The electoral body said the decision to extend the deadline was made following concerns that many political parties would not be able to comply with the earlier deadline.

The electoral agency also asked parties to submit nomination rules set for use during party primaries.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said the nomination rules and party lists will avert mischief by political parties and will also help reduce the number of disputes that may arise before the August 8 General Election.

dennis kibet