Get ready: IEBC sets off race for 19m votes

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati (left) and Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet during the launch of 2017 elections security arrangements programme. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The just-concluded nominations gave an indication of just how much money politicians are willing to spend to raise their stakes ahead of the crucial polls.
  • By the end of Wednesday, parties should have submitted their final lists of nominees to the electoral agency following heated nomination disputes.
  • Aspirants have until May 30 to resolve any disagreements arising from the primaries.
  • Those gunning for the presidency will be the first to be nominated by the IEBC, on the same day the campaigns start.

Official poll campaigns will start on May 28, the electoral commission has announced.

The announcement made on Tuesday paves the way for frenetic public rallies leading up to what promises to be one of the most expensive and hotly contested General Elections.

The just-concluded nominations gave an indication of just how much money politicians are willing to spend to raise their stakes ahead of the crucial polls, given that there is no law limiting how much can be spent on campaigns.

By the end of Wednesday, parties should have submitted their final lists of nominees to the electoral agency following heated nomination disputes.

However, aspirants have until May 30 to resolve any disagreements arising from the primaries.

RESOLVE DISAGREEMENTS

On Tuesday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said politicians who have been campaigning from as early as 2014 had not broken any law.

“The campaigns will start officially on May 28. What I am told is happening now is parties selling their policies,” said IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati on Tuesday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre where the agency, together with the police, the Judiciary and the Director of Public Prosecutions, launched a training manual on elections security.

United Democratic Movement (UDM) presidential candidate Philip Murgor, who later dropped out of the race, had in April asked the IEBC to stop President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto from campaigning, saying they had started theirs prematurely and contrary to the commission’s timelines.

ELECTION RESULTS

“Such failure by the IEBC shall constitute a ground for the challenge and annulment of the election results before the Supreme Court,” Mr Murgor had warned.

But Mr Chebukati then, in a meeting with Mr Murgor at the IEBC offices, said that legally, their campaign timeline could not bar the duo, or anyone else, from campaigning.

President Kenyatta and opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) candidate Raila Odinga have both been running aggressive and sustained campaigns ahead of the titanic battle for State House.

The start of the official campaign will come after aspirants present their nomination papers to the commission after a pre-nominations meeting with aspirants on May 23.

Those gunning for the presidency will be the first to be nominated by the IEBC, on the same day the campaigns start.

RECEIVE NOMINATION PAPERS

Since Mr Chebukati is the presidential elections returning officer, he will receive the nomination papers of the 17 candidates fighting to kick out President Kenyatta on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29.

On the same days, Senate aspirants will present their nomination papers to county returning officers.

Those gunning for the County Assembly wards — positions that have attracted an average of five aspirants in each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards — will present their papers between May 28 and May 31.

Governor and Members of the National Assembly aspirants will present theirs on June 1 and 2, while those gunning for the County Woman Representative seats will have their date on May 30 and 31.

DEPLOY 180,000 OFFICERS

According to the timelines released by the IEBC, disputes from the nominations should have been resolved by June 9, to pave way for the publication of all nominated candidates between June 10 and June 17.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry will deploy 180,000, police officers to maintain law during the elections, a number that is double that of those assigned in 2013.

Police chief Joseph Boinnet said yesterday a multi-agency strategy had been put in place to maintain law and order before, during and after the polls.

They will be drawn from the Administration Police, the Kenya Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

“We will train police officers and special police officers who will be appointed for the purposes of the elections. The aim is to make them understand what it takes to cover the elections,” Mr Boinnet said.

APPLY THE LAW

He said the relative peace and calm that was observed during the just-concluded nominations was a culmination of the input of several agencies and civilians.

“We will be apolitical, impartial and we will apply the law as it is. We will take no nonsense from anybody irrespective of their political affiliation,” Mr Boinnet told participants during the launch of an election security manual.

IEBC, the police, the judiciary and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions will starting next week, train a total of 383 trainers in Nakuru, Mombasa, Meru and Kisumu, to train the 180,000 police officers for the elections.