IEBC Assures Kenyans of Transparent, Free and Fair By-Elections
A total of 24 seats are up for contest: one Senate seat in Baringo County, six parliamentary seats, and 17 ward representative positions.
According to Marjan, the commission has so far trained all clerks and poll officials who will monitor the voting processes.Photo/Courtesy.
By Ruth Sang
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has reiterated its commitment to transparent and credible by-elections, with Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan declaring that all preparations for Thursday’s vote are complete.
Marjan made the remarks in Mbeere North Constituency, where he chaired a multi-agency meeting aimed at reviewing security readiness ahead of the polls. He reported that the commission has finalized all logistical plans and is ready to conduct the elections without disruption.
According to Marjan, the commission has so far trained all clerks and poll officials who will monitor the voting processes. He explained that all election materials are in place and that ballot papers will be unsealed on Wednesday; the last step before deployment to polling centres.
“All arrangements have been concluded. Our clerks are fully trained, the materials are prepared, and ballot papers will be opened tomorrow as required,” he said.
The IEBC boss assured residents that enough security will be provided at every polling station in Mbeere North and in all other areas where the by-elections are taking place. He observed that a good number of police officers have been deployed to secure the tallying centres, adding that more officers are expected before the voting day.
“There are at least two police officers at each polling station. We also have extra officers stationed in the tallying centre. So, at the moment there are 10 officers manning the tallying area, while another 40 officers are stationed at the main tallying centre and more personnel are arriving,” Marjan explained.
He assured people that security reinforcements have been mobilized from other neighbouring counties in support of operations for quick response to any incidents likely to happen during the election period.
Marjan further confirmed that training of clerks was concluded on Monday and that all the polling materials are currently at the constituency tallying points. He added that deployment of officials and materials to the polling stations will be started Wednesday morning to ensure everything is in place well before voting starts.
Reiterating the commission’s commitment to a transparent process, Marjan underscored that the IEBC is focused on upholding credibility at every level of the election. “We are committed to giving the country a credible process. Every stakeholder has a responsibility, including the youth, who will be on the frontline as polling officials,” he said. He observed that the IEBC and security agencies had taken up several concerns raised by local stakeholders during planning meetings, and he said he was confident that security officials will act appropriately to ensure that order is maintained throughout. The by-elections slated to take place on November 27 will be held in different regions of the country. A total of 24 seats are up for contest: one Senate seat in Baringo County, six parliamentary seats, and 17 ward representative positions. Constituencies electing new Members of Parliament include Kasipul, Mbeere North, Ugunja, Magarini, Banissa, and Malava.
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