IEBC latest statement on election preparedness and timelines: In Summary the speech is all about; Update on Political Party Nominations, Preparation of the Register of Voters, Audit of the Register, Deployment of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS), Election Results Management, Submission of Party Membership Lists and Enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Official Statement by IEBC
As part of our weekly briefing on election preparedness, today, we wish to focus on a number of issues that we have been working on in the last few days.
1. Submission of Party Membership Lists
The Interim Court Order that had suspended the implementation of Section 28 of the Elections Act, 2011 was vacated and hence all parties intending to participate in the August 08, 2017 General Election are required by Sections 28 and 31 of the Elections Act to submit their party membership lists. The Commission commends the 57 registered Political Parties that have delivered their submissions and urges the remaining 10 political parties to present their lists urgently to enable the Commission to publicize the lists as required by law.
2. Update on Political Party Nominations
Section 31(2B) of the Elections Act, 2011 requires political parties to submit to the Commission the names of persons contesting in their party primaries and the dates of the party primaries at least 21 days before the intended party primaries.
The Commission published a public notice on 6th February, 2017 requiring political parties to submit Names of Candidates for Party Primaries to the Commission from 26th March, 2017 – 5th April 2017.
The Commission will gazette the names received within Seven (7) days from today. All political parties will have Fourteen (14) days, thereafter, to prepare and conduct party primaries not later than 26th April 2017. Political parties should be reminded that no party primaries shall take place until the Commission gazettes the list of aspirants.
3. Preparation of the Register of Voters
The Commission has generated the first draft of the register of voters following completion of the de-duplication process. The process of de-duplication entailed analyzing all the records to ensure that there is only one record per voter in the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) database. As of 31st March, 2017, the first draft register had 19,530,312 voters. However, this number is likely to change due to ongoing quality assurance process both at the field and headquarter levels.
4. Audit of the Register
For the Commission to fulfill legal requirements as set out under the Elections Act as amended and following the decision of the Court on 30th March 2017, the Commission has now commenced the process of the audit of the Register. The Audit shall be undertaken by KPMG for a period of 21 days with effect from 31st March, 2017. We appeal to all actors to support this process.
5. Deployment of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS)
Fellow Kenyans,
We wish to inform you that delivery of the first batch of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System by Safran Identity & Security is expected by mid this month, holding all factors constant. The Supplier has undertaken to deliver all the 45,000 kits in time for testing and certification 60 days before the elections as required by law. Once the Commission receives the kits, it will hold a public exhibition to showcase how the new system works.
6. Election Results Management
The Constitution, the Elections Act as amended and the attendant regulations provide the procedure for elections results management. Under the law, it is only the Commission that is allowed to count, tally, collate, announce and declare the results of an election.
In addition, the Commission has developed a results management framework which clarifies the procedure the Commission shall follow in ensuring transparency and accountability in election results management. In the next few weeks, we will begin our voter education programmes to increase information sharing on the results management framework.
The Commission shall continue to engage with all stakeholders on the changes made, following lessons from the 2013 Elections, to enhance the transparency and auditability of counting, tallying, announcement and declaration of election results.
7. Enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct
The Commission has noted with concern the increasing reports of violence in various parts of the country. We wish to inform all political parties and candidates that the Commission will not tolerate any form of violence during political rallies and other political engagements.
The Electoral Code of Conduct came into force on 17 March, 2017 following the gazetting of the Election Day. The Commission wishes to remind all stakeholders of the sanctions for infringing the provisions of the Code of Conduct including warnings, fines and canceling the right of political parties or candidates to participate in the Elections. The Commission is ready to fully fulfil its responsibility of enforcing the Code of Conduct through the Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee.
We shall, in the course next week invite parties to attend a public event to subscribe themselves to the Code of Conduct.
The Commission calls on all Kenyans to avoid acts of violence during this electoral period.
Statement by IEBC Chairman Mr. Wafula Chebukati
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Do not miss our updates on ODM nominations, Jubilee Nomination, NASA and all IEBC update ahead of 2017 presidential elections in August.
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