IEBC postpones meeting with presidential candidates

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s consultative meeting with presidential candidates scheduled for Thursday at 2.30 pm has been rescheduled.

In a tweet, the electoral commission announced that it will soon announce another date when the meeting will be held.

Today's 2.30pm meeting with presidential candidates has regrettably been rescheduled. We will update.

— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) October 19, 2017

Chairperson Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday called a meeting will all the presidential candidates citing “infiltration” by the political class shortly after commissioner Roselyn Akombe fled the country and resigned from the United States.

Chebukati hinted that he might resign if certain conditions are not met.

“Under such conditions, it is difficult to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. I am convinced that without critical changes in key secretariat staff, we may not have a free, fair and credible election. I ask the staff who have been adversely mentioned to step aside and allow the project team to function without interference,” said Chebukati.

The last IEBC consultative meeting with Jubilee and NASA representatives on October 3 ended without a solution to the poll impasse that has derailed the electoral commission’s preparations for next week’s repeat presidential election.

Addressing the press at Bomas after the closed-door session, Siaya Senator James Orengo said that none of the issues raised by the opposition had been addressed by the opposition.

“The Supreme Court didn’t rule elections must be held on 26th. We insist our demands [irreducible minimums] must be met for purposes of having an election, and in accordance with the Constitution,” Orengo said after the daylong meeting.