- After the dusk to dawn curfew is lifted, there will be a lot of changes and new ways of conducting elections, Chebukati said.
- President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday hinted at easing the containment measures now in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Image: /JACK OWUOR
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is ready to hold five by-elections as soon as the country is opened up.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said they are in talks with the Ministry of Health to see how the by-elections will be held after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“After curfew is lifted and the country is opened up, we will set new elections dates for one constituency and four wards,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday hinted at easing the containment measures now in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The President acknowledged that Kenyans were going through difficult times but stressed that the measures were necessary to combat the virus.
Chebukati said, “We are seeking advice on the best way to go about this activity. There will be a lot of changes and new ways of conducting elections.”
Last month, IEBC postponed five by-elections to a date to be announced later due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It told voters in Msambweni constituency and Dabaso (Kilifi), Kisumu North, Kahawa Wendani (Kiambu) and Wundayi/Mbale (Taita Taveta) wards to wait a little longer to pick their representatives.
Chebukati told Citizen TV that political parties will conduct primaries and hold campaigns differently.
“The main problem is human-to-human contact. We are looking at having elections in this environment. Keeping social distance, use of sanitisers and face masks at polling stations,” he explained.
He noted that activities involving human-to-human contact had been scaled down.
“We all understand that the people in the constituency and the wards need representation. Immediately the situation improves and the country is opened up and the curfew is lifted, we will hold elections,” the IEBC chief said.
While announcing the postponement, Chebukati said they were ready to conduct the by-elections but the virus outbreak posed unprecedented challenges.
It would be difficult to hold the elections without exposing the public to the contagious virus, he said, adding that the dusk to dawn national curfew limited the movement of everyone except essential services providers.
Msambweni constituents are to pick a new MP following the death of Suleiman Dori while Kahawa Wendani voters will go to the polls to choose a new MCA following the death of Cyrus Omondi.
The Wundayi/Mbale ward seat fell vacant after the death of MCA Beatrice Mwabili.
The Dabaso seat became vacant following the Court of Appeal's decision that the IEBC erred in declaring Emmanuel Changawa the winner in the 2017 General Elections.
Kisumu North ward seat fell vacant after MCA Elisha Jack Oraro was elected the county Assembly speaker in January.
- mwaniki fm