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The IEBC has given political parties until June 3, a little over a week from now, to conduct their party primaries/FILE

Kenya

Makueni Senate poll now set for July 22

The IEBC has given political parties until June 3, a little over a week from now, to conduct their party primaries/FILE

The IEBC has given political parties until June 3, a little over a week from now, to conduct their party primaries/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 – The Makueni Senate by-election will take place on July 22, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has declared.

“The County Returning Officer (CRO) will be gazetted and issued with a notice to conduct this by-election by the IEBC Chairman, Ahmed Issack Hassan on Monday, May 27, 2013,” the commission’s communication manager Tabitha Mutemi said in a statement on Friday.

The commission has given political parties a little over a week to conduct their party primaries. “The commission will hold briefing of political parties on May 28, 2013. Political party primaries are expected to have been conducted by June 3, 2013,” the statement continued.

The seat was declared vacant by Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro following the death of Mutula Kilonzo on April 27 from unknown causes.

“In accordance with article 101(4) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) received a notice from the Senate Speaker, Hon Ekwe Ethuro on Monday, May 13, 2013, declaring the Makueni Senate seat vacant,” Mutemi said.

The Constitution gives the Senate Speaker 21 days within which to declare a vacancy and the commission 90 days within which to conduct a by-election unless there remains only three months before the next General Election.

“In accordance with article 101(4) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) received a notice from the Senate Speaker, Hon Ekwe Ethuro on Monday, May 13, 2013, declaring the Makueni Senate seat vacant,” Mutemi said.

Kilonzo had barely served a month as the Makueni Senator following the March 28 swearing in ceremony and was as yet to give his maiden address to the House.

The result of the late Makueni Senator’s post-mortem are also expected to be released in July, two months after it was carried out in the presence of nine pathologists including an independent one from the United Kingdom who was sought out by the late Senator’s family.

Kilonzo’s daughter Kethi Kilonzo has been touted as a possible candidate in the Makueni Senate race and there is even a Facebook group, Kethi Kilonzo 4 Makueni County Senator, with 28,540 Likes calling for her candidature.

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