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Ready or not? Uncertainty surrounds Kenya poll rerun, a month to Oct. 17

Ready or not? Uncertainty surrounds Kenya poll rerun, a month to Oct. 17

Kenya

Kenya’s Supreme Court on September 1 declared the results of the last presidential poll as null and void and instructed the elections body to conduct a new vote within 60 days of the annulment.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has since slated October 17 for the rerun poll as ordered by the apex court.

Whiles the ruling Jubilee, led by Acting President Uhuru Kenyatta, have expressed their willingness to contest in the polls, the same cannot be said of the main opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) led by Raila Odinga.

Kenyatta, in the wake of the court ruling descended heavily on the court, at a point referring to the justices as ‘thugs and criminals.’ He insists that Jubilee will stick to the IEBC’s new timetable and has been campaigning across the country.

NASA have meanwhile stuck to their position of boycotting the polls if the necessary electoral reforms are not undertaken before the rerun. Kenya media reports that they have announced a plan to ensure that the polls do not hold.

“Kenyans spoke in a loud voice on August 8th giving us victory; however the will of the majority was subverted. As a coalition we have tried to engage the IEBC with a view to having our grave and valid concerns addressed, but to no avail,” Odinga said in a series of tweets on Sunday.

Unless our irreducible minimum reform demands are met by the IEBC, we shall not have a repeat presidential election #NoReformsNoElections pic.twitter.com/CsycjhqbTo

— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) September 17, 2017

Meanwhile, NASA and Jubilee have over the last weeks pointed accusing fingers at the IEBC claiming collusion with one part. The IEBC has continually denied taking sides and has gone on to name a team to handle the October 17 process.

The Supreme Court – over two weeks after its historic judgment – has yet to issue a detailed ruling with respect to the nature of infractions that caused them to annul the last elections.

A tech outfit responsible for the polls recently released a report that said there was at best technical problems but no evidence of vote-rigging, a claim buttressed by the European Union election observer mission.

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