Chebukati dismisses claims of postponing 2022 polls

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has dismissed reports on the possibility to postpone the 2022 general elections.

Chebukati said elections will be conducted next year as stipulated in the Constitution.

"I have seen reports of plans to delay the general elections. IEBC for a fact does not react to opinions from organizations or individuals," he noted.

The commission's chairman noted that IEBC is guided by the law which highlights that the next general elections will be held on August 9, 2022.

However, Chebukati added that in case of any variation of the law, IEBC will abide by it.

Chebukati spoke on Monday at a media stakeholders' workshop with the IEBC in Mombasa.

In terms of budget, the chairman said IEBC requires Sh40.19 billion for the general elections but Treasury had only allocated Sh26.4 billion.

This means there is a deficit of Sh14 billion.

As a result, he said, IEBC will be forced to cut down certain areas during the elections.

The IEBC chair said the number of days of voters registration will be reduced and the number of personnel across polling stations will be cut.

Chebukati also urged the National Assembly to pass the Election Campaign Financing Law.

The law was presented on July 25, 2016, but has not been enacted up to this date.

The Act gives the Commission the authority to vary the spending limits by notice in the Gazette.

" We urge all stakeholders to interact with the document on expenditure limits and communicate to the Commission in the event they feel aggrieved," Chebukati added.

The statement comes after details emerged on how a section of MPs revealed they were preparing to petition the High Court to postpone the election to give the IEBC adequate time to conduct boundary delimitation.

In a letter to the IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati and Attorney General Kihara Kariuki, former Jubilee nominated Senator Paul Njoroge said having the election on August 9, 2022, will unconstitutionally reduce Uhuru’s five-year term by four months.

Citing Article 142 of the Constitution, Njoroge argues that the five-year presidential term begins on the day he was sworn in.

Uhuru was sworn in on November 28, 2017, following protracted electioneering that saw his August 2017 victory nullified and a fresh presidential ballot held.

Edited by D Tarus