Results from Nyanza won’t change election outcome – IEBC

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will announce the final results of the repeat presidential election without votes from  four Nyanza counties of Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya.

Speaking after a closed-door meeting at the Bomas of Kenya, the commission’s vice chairperson, Consolata Nkatha, said that the decision had been reached unanimously after consulting all the electoral  stakeholders.

Nkatha said the commission is unable to conduct a repeat poll in the region because of the sustained and escalated violence that has affected the Nyanza region and will go ahead to announce the final result at 3.30 pm today.

“Having completed the verification process of all results from the 266 constituencies that voted, and in accordance with Section 55B Article 3, IEBC is certified that results of the elections shall not be affected by voting in the areas where the process was postponed,” said the IEBC vice-chair.

Election in the four counties was postponed over what IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati cited as security threats to the electoral body’s staff.

“Some of our staff were hijacked, tortured, in some areas, some of their homes broken into and looted, others were forbidden and violently prevented from reporting to their polling stations and were literally chased away. Some had to take refuge in police stations up to now as we speak,” Chebukati said.