CHEBUKATI CHANGES 2022 GENERAL ELECTION DATES

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced new dates in the 2022 elections calendar.

Speaking on Friday, October 1, IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati warned that the commission will not hesitate to flag down political parties and entities that will not adhere to the set elections regulations and guidelines.

“The commission warns that as an impartial referee they have all the disciplinary cards and will not hesitate to flash out yellow or red cards as part of the law of the game, to any player that fails to adhere to the regulations in order to deliver free, fair, and credible elections,” IEBC said.

IEBC further announced that it has altered the date for the gazettement of the General Election date from March 14, 2022, to January 19, 2022.

“The dates to conduct party primaries, resolution of intra-party disputes submission of names of candidates after primaries have also been changed to May 26, 2022,” the electoral body said.

In changing the dates in the 2022 elections calendar, IEBC said political parties will get a period of 129 days to conduct their party primaries.

“Initially, Political Parties were to conduct party primaries, resolve intra-party disputes and submit names of candidates from April 16, 2022, to May 19, 2022.

Chebukati also called for a timely conclusion of any poll-related laws and regulations by December 31, to allow the agency ample time to prepare for the 2022 General Election.

The IEBC chair faulted Parliament of dilly-dallying by taking too long to pass the laws lamenting that the Commission’s mandate in readiness of the polls risks being jeopardized.

“We are hoping that we shall continue to engage Parliament with a view of having these reforms in place. We are already late in the day but we hope that latest by December this year if there are any reforms then they should be in place before we get into next year’s election mode,” Chebukati said.

By People Daily