IEBC proposes public schools closure to allow party primaries

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) clerk Fadhili Stephen waits for Kenyans to register as voters at the St Paul's Primary School in Nakuru December 18, 2012 . The IEBC January 15, 2013 recommended that public schools close on Thursday to allow political parties hold nominations. SULEIMAN MBATIAH

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has recommended that public schools close on Thursday to allow political parties hold nominations.

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), Jubilee Coalition and Amani Coalition among other parties will hold primaries on Thursday to pick candidates for various offices.

Parties have always used schools as venues for political events and Thursday's primaries are expected to be held in the learning institutions.

On Tuesday, IEBC chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan asked political parties to ensure they have planned well for the primaries and notified authorities and the public of the marked polling centres they intend to use for the nominations.

"We expect political parties to have identified appropriate and secured venues for nominations. They must have compiled and shared the list of poling stations with relevant security and administrative organs of state," Mr Hassan said.

ODM National Elections Board chairman Franklin Bett said the party has already identified specific venues and circulated the information to all aspirants and the party membership.

He said that areas like Nyanza, western Kenya and Nairobi have been allocated between three and five polling centres in an area.