Parties have upto Sunday midnight to submit candidates names to IEBC
Wafula Chebukati (left), the chairman of the IEBC with the body's chief executive officer Ezra Chiloba at its office in Nairobi on January 31, 2017. Parties have upto Sunday midnight to present names of candidates to the electoral agency. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The law only allows the change of the names before the presentation of the list over death, resignation or incapacity.
- Eighteen presidential candidates hope to be cleared to run for the seat; the highest number in the country’s history.
- The postponed election shall be held within 60 days after the date of the set presidential election.
Political parties have until Sunday midnight to submit names of their August General Election candidates, kick-starting a vicious battle for the six elective seats.
The lists will be sent electronically and no name can be changed after the presentation of the names to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
“A political party shall not change the candidate nominated after the nomination has been received by the Commission,” Section 13 (2) of the Elections Act says.
The law only allows the change of the names before the presentation of the list over death, resignation or incapacity.
Such a person being replaced will be notified of the substitution before the names are sent to the IEBC.
18 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Eighteen presidential candidates hope to be cleared to run for the seat; the highest number in the country’s history.
In case of a presidential candidate or a running mate dying before the August 8 polls, the law forces a postponement of the election.
“A presidential election shall be cancelled and a new election held if a candidate for election as President or Deputy President dies on or before the scheduled election date,” Article 138 (8)c of the Constitution says.
The postponed election shall be held within 60 days after the date of the set presidential election.
On Wednesday, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati extended the deadline for the presentation of the list of party nominations winners following hundreds of cases lodged at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).
DETERMINE CASES
“The Commission notes that there are 210 pending disputes at the PPDT.
To allow the tribunal to determine cases before it, the political parties affected are due to submit their list of candidates on or before 14 May 2017,” Mr Chebukati said in a statement.
The deadline had elapsed on Wednesday at midnight, the pressure on parties further aggravated by the avalanche of petitions lodged with their different tribunals.
The presentation of the list is a critical part of the General Election.
After the presentation of the lists, the next key timeline is the start of the official campaigns on May 28, preceded by pre-nominations meeting on May 23.
CAMPAIGNS KICK OFF
Those gunning for the presidential seat will be the first to be nominated by the IEBC, on the same day the campaigns kick off.
Mr Chebukati will receive the nomination papers of the presidential candidates on Sunday May 28 and Monday May 29.
On the same days, Senate aspirants will present their nomination papers to the county returning officers in the 47 counties.
Those gunning for the ward rep seats- the new kids in the block that has attracted an average of five in each of Kenya’s 1,450 wards- will present their nomination papers between May 28 and May 31.
SCRUTINISE CERTIFICATES
Governor and Members of the National Assembly aspirants will present theirs on June 1 and 2, while those gunning for the Woman rep seats are slotted for May 30 and 31.
Meanwhile, IEBC is set to scrutinise academic certificates of the 12,765 aspirants who are vying for various seats.
“We have not looked on issues of integrity, verifying academic documents and other issues touching on the aspirants,” IEBC communications manager Andrew Limo said.
Additional reporting by Joseph Wangui
