NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 7- The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared 10 more political parties to participate in the upcoming general election after approving their nomination rules.
Speaking during a press conference in Naivasha on Friday, the commission’s Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the number now pushes to 82, the parties that to take part in the August polls.
“The Commission has approved the nominations rules of 82 political parties which will participate in the coming polls. This was after we approved them,” he said.
Out of the 83 registered political parties in the Country, Chebukati said one political party was disqualified after being nonresponsive.
“One party known as The Alliance Real Change Party was nonresponsive and therefore not approved to participate. We want to assure Kenyans that the commission is on course for the 2022 general election and ready to deliver fair, verifiable and credible polls,” Chebukati said.
In December last year, the electoral body had approved only 72 parties which it said had complied with Election Act requirements.
IEBC had given political parties until November 16 to refile revised nomination rules as required under Section 27 (1) of the Elections Act.
All the political parties which submitted their nomination rules by October 18 were found to be noncompliant with the requirements of the law. IEBC had warned that it will reject any rules that do not comply with the two-thirds gender rule.
“Non-compliant rules will be declared null and void. The affected political parties will not be issued with a compliance certificate, therefore will not take part in the upcoming General Election,” Chebukati stated.
The commission maintained that the requirement emanates from a High Court ruling that directed the agency to devise administrative mechanisms to ensure gender parity is realized among parties during nominations for parliamentary elections.