Ikolomani mini poll set for May 23

Ikolomani voters will go to the polls on May 23 to elect a new MP, the Interim Independent Electoral Commission IIEC has said.

Former area MP Boni Khalwale lost his seat through an election petition, occasioning the by-election.

IIEC chairman Issack Hassan in a gazette notice dated March 25 asked political parties participating in the by election to complete their candidate's nominations by April 21.

Nominations, Mr Hassan said, for the by elections will be held on April 27 and 28 where the candidates are expected to hand in their nomination papers to the returning officers.

“A person guilty of an election offence will be liable to the penalties imposed by the Election Offences Act (cap 66) and to the disqualifications imposed by National Assembly and Presidential Elections Act (Cap 7),” the notice warned.

Mr Khalwale lost his seat on February 18, after a Kakamega court nullified election over irregularities during the 2007 General Election.

Justice Isaac Lenaola ruled against the new Ford Kenya MP saying his election was not free and fair.

One of the contestants Mr Bernard Shinali filed the petition contesting the 2007 parliamentary results.

Mr khalwale now becomes the tenth MP to lose his seat after losing in an election petition filed over 2007 polls.

Other MPs who have fallen by the wayside include: Omingo Magara (South Mugirango), Joel Onyancha (Bomachoge), John Ngata Kariuki (Kirinyaga Central), George Thuo (Juja), Dick Wathika (Makadara), Abdirahman Hassan (Wajir South), Ali Chirau Mwakwere (Matuga), Margaret Wanjiru (Starehe) and Simon Mbugua (Kamukunji).

Of these, only Mr Mwakwere and Bishop Wanjiru won the subsequent by-elections in their constituencies.

In the latest by-election in February, PNU's Joseph Gitari was elected the new MP for Kirinyaga Central after seeing off the challenge of Narc Kenya's Daniel Karaba in a tightly contested poll.