Kenya fixes new date for fresh presidential election

Kenya’s electoral body the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set a date for the repeat presidential election as ordered by the country’s Supreme Court last week.

The electoral commission said on Monday that the repeat exercise will be carried out on 17 October. The commission further stated that only President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga will be on the ballot.

Last Friday, the country’s apex court annulled President Kenyatta’s official win in the 8 August polls by 1.4 million votes, saying the IEBC neglected to conduct the election in a manner within the dictates of the constitution.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has lost the last three elections and has alleged vote-rigging after each, welcomed the court judgement, but he also called for senior officials at the IEBC to resign and face possible prosecution.

Spokesmen for both the president and the IEBC rejected the idea of changing the entire board of the election commission.

The commission said however that it is revising the operational and procedural requirements for the conduct of the fresh election.

Adira Kallo

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