Elections body prepares for by-elections

A voter casts her vote during the 2008 general elections. Bomachoge and Shinyalu constituencies are set fro by-elections. PHOTO/ FILE

What you need to know:

  • Commission advertises for staff in two constituencies

Bomachoge and Shinyalu may have new representatives in Parliament soon, according to indications from the new elections body.

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission has embarked on the search for staff to conduct the pending by-elections in the two constituencies.

The commission, chaired by lawyer Issack Hassan, has invited applications for returning and registration officers and district coordinators in Kakamega and Gucha districts.

Mr Hassan said they would fast track the registration of voters in the two constituencies in order to conduct the by-elections in the near future.

The commission is required to register voters afresh before the people of Bomachoge and Shinyalu elect their MPs.

“I know that there are those who are arguing that we should use the old register but there are a lot of misgivings about it, especially if you consider the High Court ruling for Bomachoge about the tallying. The presidential votes cast were 48,000 while the votes cast for the MPs were 38,000. That register appears to be in a mess,” he said.

The Bomachoge seat fell vacant when Mr Joel Onyancha Omagwa lost an election petition filed against him last December. Shinyalu MP Charles Lugano died earlier this month.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta set aside Sh100 million for the commission to conduct the by-election in his supplementary budget passed by Parliament last week. Those interested in the jobs have until June 5 to make their applications.

The commission officially took over the assets and liabilities of the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya, which was disbanded last December. All the 22 commissioners and staff were sent packing, although some of the workers have been absorbed in the civil service.

In another development, the commission has invited bids from human resource companies to help it put together a secretariat. The deadline for applications is also June 5.

“We are going to do a very serious and thorough recruitment process and get qualified Kenyans across the nation for the secretariat and the districts,” said Mr Hassan.

The new commission is expected, before the end of its tenure in May, 2010, to have developed a modern system of collecting, transmitting, and tallying election data.