Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is today expected to publish the list of all poll aspirants.
This will pave way for political parties to conduct their primaries, starting tomorrow and most of them have already released the schedule for the process.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said was categorical that no party will be allowed to conduct its primaries until the commission gazettes the list of aspirants.
“Political parties should be reminded that no party primaries should take place until the Commission gazettes the list of aspirants,” he said.
Lat week, Chebukati said they were expected to gazette the names received within seven days from April 5 while political parties will have 14 days thereafter to prepare and conduct party primaries not later than April 26.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had to postpone its primaries slated for April 8 and are now set to commence tomorrow. The Raila Odinga-led Orange party changed its dates last Friday after IEBC maintained that political parties will only conduct their primaries between April 13 and 26, adding that any exercise before the date will be an illegality.
Consequently, parties were required to submit their list of nominees selected to contest for the elections to the Commission on or before May 10.
Similarly, parties that directly select their nominees for election were to submit the list of persons selected to contest in the election on or before May 10.
“Section 31 (2C) of the Elections Act requiredthe Commission to publish the names of persons contesting in a part primary and date within seven days of the receipt of names of party candidates,” Chebukati said in a statement last Friday.
in the first day of ODM nominations tomorrow, the party will hold the exercise in Busia, Bungoma and Machakos, followed by Turkana, Kakamega Samburu and Narok on April14, then Kisii, Nyamira, Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Trans Nzoia counties on April 18.
On April 19, it will hold nominations in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale Tana River and Lamu while in Homa Bay, Migori, Nakuru, Vihiga counties it will be on April 21.
Siaya, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu will hold the exercise on April 24 and on April 25 they will be held in Makueni, Garissa and Nairobi.
