• Campaign period for purposes of the by-election shall commence on Monday, November 1, and cease on Monday, December 13.
• The campaign time shall run from 7am to 6pm during the campaign period.
Image: MERCY MUMO
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has announced that the by-election for Member of County Assembly for Kiagu Ward in Meru County will be held on December 16 this year.
In a gazette notice dated October 27, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said that the campaign period for purposes of the by-election shall commence on Monday, November 1, and cease on Monday, December 13, 48 hours before the by-election day.
The campaign time shall run from 7 am to 6 pm during the campaign period.
The move comes following the High Court Constitutional Petition No. E385 of 2021 Chama Cha Kazi and Milton Mwenda –vs- IEBC and Selasio Mutuma Thuranira that was delivered on October 21.
The court compelled IEBC to include Moses Kuria's Chama cha Kazi candidate in the poll.
Earlier, the commission had scheduled the by-election for October 14, but the Nairobi High Court barred it from proceeding with printing the names of contenders on ballot papers following the case that had been filed.
Chama Cha Kazi candidate Milton Mwenda Kabobo had been disqualified from vying over integrity issues but moved to the High Court.
Kuria’s lawyer Ndegwa Njiru sought several conservatory orders including printing of ballot papers, degazetting of Kabobo, or alternative candidate selection among others.
“The respondents to file and serve their respective responses to the notice of motion and petition within two days. That pending hearing and determination of the notice of motion dated September 24 and the petition herein, there be a conservatory order restraining the IEBC from printing ballot papers for the by-election scheduled to take place on October 14, and from taking any further steps towards preparation of the said by-election for Kiagu ward,” the court said.
Chebukati said that the political parties and independent candidates shall appoint and submit to the Commission the names of their Constituency Elections Agents to the Commission on or before Thursday, December 2, 2021.
“The registration and revision of the register of voters for the said electoral areas are suspended until December 29, 2021. The poll will take place on Thursday, December 16, 2021.”
Also, Chebukati said that every political party, candidate, and every person who participates in the election shall subscribe to and observe the Electoral Code of Conduct.
“A person guilty of an election offence will be liable to the penalties imposed by the Election Offences Act, 2016 (No. 37 of 2016), the disqualifications imposed thereof, and the Constitution of Kenya.”
Edited By D Tarus