IEBC starts clearing aspirants seeking woman rep seats
Ms Grace Karuga, the Kanu candidate for the Nakuru woman rep seat displays her nomination certificate after she was cleared by the IEBC on May 30, 2017. PHOTO | MAGDALENE WANJA| NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Those seeking seats only need a proposer and seconder if they belong to a political party.
- Those seeking the seats as independent candidates need to present 2,000 signatures of registered voters.
- Between June 10 and 20, the electoral commission will publish the list of all nominated candidates.
The electoral commission is Tuesday morning expected to start clearing aspirants seeking to be woman representatives in the August elections.
This is being done Tuesday and Wednesday at the county IEBC offices.
On Thursday and Friday, IEBC will clear governorship and MP aspirants.
Those seeking to vie for governor, senator and woman representative seats only need a proposer and seconder if they belong to a political party.
However, those seeking the seats as independent candidates need to present 2,000 signatures of registered voters.
Those seeking to be members of Parliament in a political party will also only require a proposer and a seconder who are members of the party while those going as independent candidates will need to present 1,000 signatures of registered voters.
ELECTIONS ACT
According to sections 32 and 33 of the Elections Act, 2011, “persons intending to contest an election as independent candidates shall submit their names and the symbol to the Commission for approval”.
The Act further states that an aspirant should not be a member of any registered party, at least three months to the general election.
Between June 10 and 20, the electoral commission will publish the list of all nominated candidates.
Independent presidential candidates Prof Michael Wainaina, Japheth Kavinga and Joseph Nyaga were Monday cleared alongside Jirongo Khwa Shakhalanga of United Democratic Party (UDF) and Jubilee Party candidate President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The five join National Super Alliance’s) Raila Odinga, Ekuru Aukot (Thirdway Alliance) and Abduba Dida (Alliance for Real Change) who were cleared on Sunday.
CODE OF CONDUCT
All the eight candidates signed the election code of conduct aimed at promoting “conditions that are conducive to free and fair elections” and that create a climate of tolerance, free political campaigning and open public debate.
On Friday last week, independent presidential candidates got a major reprieve in their quest to be cleared for the August 8 polls after the High Court ruled that some sections of the Elections Act, 2016 were unconstitutional and consequently nullified them.
Mr Justice George Odunga in his judgment, declared as unlawful section 29(2) of the Elections Act, which requires that the persons who nominate an independent presidential candidate must not be members of any political party.
The judge said that the section contravenes Article 27(2) and (4) as well as Article 137(1)(d) of the Constitution.
The court also nullified the requirement issued by IEBC on May 17 that presidential aspirants submit their nomination signatures in an Excel sheet.
Section 29(1) of the Elections Act which requires that people who nominate a presidential candidate be members of the candidate’s political party was also nullified.
