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2017 KENYA ELECTIONS

IEBC completes reviewing training curriculum, raring to go

The commission is also expected to present a memorandum to a joint parliamentary select committee detailing its stance on proposed amendments to the Elections Act and the Election Offences Act/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 4 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Tuesday completed reviewing its training curriculum for poll officials in readiness for the October 26 repeat presidential election, during a workshop that lasted three days.

A total of thirty-six master trainers deliberated upon and incorporated among others recommendations by the Supreme Court which nullified the August 8 presidential election in a bid to ensure the fresh poll is conducted in strict compliance with the Constitution and election statutes.

The trainers will now be deployed to instruct polling officials who include Constituency Returning Officers (ROs) and their deputies, Presiding Officers (POs) and their deputies, as well as ICT officers and support staff who will oversee the fresh State House race.

Areas of training will include filling of statutory forms, computation of results as well as transmission of the same to Constituency Tallying Centres and the National Tallying Centre.

According to timelines published by the IEBC, training of Support Election Trainers (SETs) which had originally been slated to run from Monday to Thursday will proceed forthwith in order to pave way for the coaching of shortlisted candidates for positions of PO beginning Saturday, ending Tuesday next week.

Shortlisted Polling Clerks will be trained between Thursday and Saturday next week.

Successful POs are to be appointed on Wednesday next week whereas clerks are expected to be appointed on October 15.

Training of Diaspora polling officials will kick off on Friday and is expected to be completed by Tuesday next week.

Election officials overseeing polls in the 40,883 polling stations countrywide are expected to be deployed on the eve of the Election Day, or earlier, depending on logistical arrangements required.

IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati had said on Tuesday that the commission was reorganizing its staff in a move to strengthen election management in the new poll.

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“We’re dealing with matters as regards to what the Supreme Court stated. Issues raised by the National Super Alliance (NASA) will be addressed with the Supreme Court judgment so that whatever we do is in compliance with the Constitution,” he said.

During his press conference after holding meetings with NASA presidential candidate and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, and later Deputy President William Ruto (Jubilee), Chebukati assured that the commission had fully addressed concerns raised by NASA, pledging to avail a formal response to the alliance tentatively Wednesday.

The commission is also expected to present a memorandum to a joint parliamentary select committee detailing its stance on proposed amendments to the Elections Act and the Election Offences Act.

“We (IEBC) shall be appearing before the committee either on Wednesday or Thursday and our legal team is working on our views on the amendments,” Chebukati said.

During the consultative forum with the commission, Ruto who is President Uhuru Kenyatta’s running mate in the October 26 poll once again reaffirmed the position of the ruling party that it had no demands whatsoever other than its desire to have the repeat presidential contest conducted within the constitutionally stipulated timelines and as directed by the poll agency.

Ruto reiterated that Jubilee will continue to respect the autonomy of the IEBC.

READ: Ruto says Jubilee happy with poll plans, NASA digs in

 

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