IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati unveiled the election timelines, requiring civil servants seeking political offices to resign by February 9.
The law requires that public officers seeking elective seats resign six months to a general election.
According to the IEBC's election operations plan, nominations for presidential candidates will take place between May 30 and June 10.
Civil servants aspiring for elective positions were reprieved after the High Court suspended a directive by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for them to resign by February 9.
IEBC was stopped from disqualifying public servants eyeing political seats if they would not have resigned by then.
But in a rejoinder, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing the directive derived from regulations requiring civil servants with political ambitions to quit at least six months to an election.
That’s the law and it must be complied with.
Let them resign and allow other Kenyans to take those positions.
By allowing those contesting in various seats to remain in their jobs not only is a conflict of interest but they do not deliver on their jobs.
President Kenyatta is on his final term and he has many projects lined up which need to be completed.
However, if the people entrusted with this task of helping him in these projects are out campaigning, he will not achieve his desired legacy.
Kenya’s unemployment rate grew two times between April and June as 1.7 million Kenyans lost jobs.
According to the just-released quarterly labour report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the number of employed shrunk to 15.9 million Kenyans from a higher 17.8 million Kenyans in March.
Kenya’s unemployment rate now stands at 10.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent in March with the employment to population ratio sliding to 57.7 per cent from 64.4 per cent.
Therefore if those who want to contest resign, many people will get an opportunity to be employed and reduce the number of those who are unemployed and some of them hold more than two jobs.
It is not prudent for those who want to contest various seats to continue holding on to the jobs.
Let them resign and give opportunities to jobless Kenyans.
Director, Career Organisation
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
