• He said outgoing Governor Wycliffe Oparanya's term has ended and he cannot make decisions.
• The IEBC has announced the election of governors in Kakamega and Mombasa will be held on August 23.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Kakamega governor candidate Cleophas Malala wants a transition committee formed to take over management of the county.
He said outgoing Governor Wycliffe Oparanya's term has ended and he cannot make decisions.
“Oparanya’s term of office and mine ended on Monday and we’re now both ordinary citizens. When the dates for the Kakamega and Mombasa governor elections are announced, he will campaign for his candidate as an ordinary Kenyan and not governor,” Malala said.
The IEBC has announced the election of governors in Kakamega and Mombasa will be held on August 23.
During election campaigns that ended on Saturday, Malala had accused Oparanya of using public resources to campaign for his opponent, Fernandes Barasa of ODM.
“I would be governor today but laxity by IEBC has kept us waiting,” he said.
Malala said he will resume his campaigns now that governor's election has been cancelled.
“I’m starting my campaigns tomorrow [Wednesday] until the new date for the elections in Kakamega is gazetted. I’m ready anytime they announce the dates. If my opponents are tired, it’s their problem,” he said.
Malala will take on Barasa, UDP's Cyrus Jirongo and four others.
The IEBC on Monday cancelled governor elections in Kakamega and Mombasa counties, citing a mix-up in ballot paper printing.
The governor ballot papers for Kakamega had photographs of candidates in Kirinyaga county.
Malala said the electoral agency ignored the Appeal court orders barring use of a manual voter register.
“There’s a likelihood that there may be contempt of court cases filed against the commission after the election following the use of the manual register. For example, 154 polling stations in Malava constituency identified using the manual register,” he said.
The senator was addressing journalists at Bulimbo Girls Secondary School in Matungu constituency.
Malala blamed nonfunctional digital kits and the abrupt cancellation of the governor's polls for the low voter turnout on Tuesday.
He said the delays targeted areas where Kenya Kwanza has strong candidates.
Edited by A.N