IEBC Postponed 5 By-Elections, Scaled Down Staff Over Covid-19

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was forced to postpone at least five by-elections that were scheduled for this year over Covid-19 fears.

The commission also scaled down its staff members to reduce human to human contact at its premises in the wake of Covid-19 that continues to spread in the country.

Speaking during a virtual interview with Citizen TV, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said the commission had to suspend any activity that required human contact but normal operations are bound to resume once the lockdowns and the curfews are lifted.

IEBC postponed elections in four wards and one constituency including the Dabaso Ward in Kilifi County, Wundanyi-Mbale Ward in Taita Taveta, Kahawa-Wendani (Kiambu) Kisumu-North Ward (Kisumu) and Msambweni constituency in Kwale County.

“We understand that the people of the respective wards and constituency need representation in parliament and county assemblies, and immediately the situation improves and the country is opened up and the curfew is lifted, the commission is planning to have elections post Covid-19,” said the IEBC chair.

Mr. Chebukati said the IEBC will hold talks with the Ministry of Health and discuss having elections post Covid-19 where the officials and voters will be required to wear protective gear as well as use sanitizers to prevent further spread of the virus.

While responding to a recent rant where some weird server information from IEBC leaked to the public, Mr. Chebukati said that the commission had a problem with transmissions which originated from the telecommunications companies charged with the task.

“The Supreme Court ruled that the register of voters was okay as well as the verification exercise, but we had a problem with the electronic transmissions.”

The IEBC Chair argued that a good section of the country’s population(approximately 30 percent)lack access to 3G network a situation that interfered with the transmission during the 2017 General elections exercise. On this, the commission said it was in talks with the Communications Authority of Kenya to manage the situation.