Kenyans React to IEBC’s Postponement of Elections in Four Counties

A section of Kenyans has reacted over the decision by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to postpone elections in four counties.

Through the IEBC Chairman, Wafula Chebukati, elections in Siaya, Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay counties will take place on 28^th of October 2017 after they failed to take off due to “security concerns,” a move that has been widely criticized by many Kenyans.

“You cannot reschedule another date for a boycotted election without first knowing why it was boycotted in the first place,” said one of the residents in Homa Bay County.

On 26^th, Kenya went to the polls for a controversial repeat Presidential elections that were boycotted by the main opposition, National Super Alliance (NASA).

As at Friday morning, IEBC had estimated a low voter turnout with the Chairman eliciting further controversy by estimating the turnout to be at 48 percent with many Kenyans disputing the figures.

“One thing about Chebukati is that he has been very consistent with inconsistency. He says one thing in the morning and says exactly the opposite in the evening,” said Farah Maalim, former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

The National Super Alliance boycotted the 26^th polls demanding for reforms with the electoral body in what it termed the realization of the irreducible minimums. There was widespread violence in most counties of the Nyanza region including Kisumu, Migori, Siaya and Homa Bay.

Other regions like Mombasa, more than 85 percent of the voting process did not take place with the same being replicated in Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, Kitui, Makueni and Machakos Counties.

Most questions are questioning the criteria that the Chairman of the IEBC used to reach to the conclusion that voting failed to take place in only four counties and not the other counties where voting barely took place.