Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Kenya

IEBC pushes Homa Bay senatorial poll to February 12

The campaigns are scheduled to commence on January 17, and end by February 10, 2015/FILE

The campaigns are scheduled to commence on January 17, and end by February 10, 2015/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 19 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) has pushed the Homa Bay senatorial by-election from February 2 to February 12, 2015.

This is after the High Court ordered that the polls body extends the party primaries by 10 days.

“The political party primaries shall be conducted by December 27, 2014 and the delivery of nomination papers to IEBC will take place on January 15 and 16, 2015,” the commission said in a statement.

The campaigns are scheduled to commence on January 17, and end by February 10, 2015.

READ: ODM nomination in Homa Bay aborts as ballots destroyed

High Court Judge George Odunga had on Thursday ruled that the participating parties needed more time to conduct the nominations as had been the case in other by-elections.

“The respondent (IEBC) ought to have given the party reasonable time for nominations as it has done in the past,” ruled Odunga.

The judge in his ruling indicated that IEBC had failed to show proof of the losses it would incur in extending the primaries so as to give the Orange Democratic Movement time to resolve its nomination issues.

The party experienced botched nominations on Monday after rowdy youth destroyed ballot boxes.

And since IEBC had declined to extend the period for nominations, the party was forced to go for direct nomination whose results were initially expected Friday.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

READ: ODM Homa Bay poll contender to get direct nomination

Owing to the extension it is not known whether the party will reverse its decision to go for a direct nomination or whether it will hold a mini-poll.

The Homa Bay Senate seat fell vacant after the death of Otieno Kajwang’ on November 18, 2014 at the Mater Hospital after suffering a heart attack.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News