The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has kicked politicians out of the National Tallying Centre located at the Bomas of Kenya.
In an announcement on Saturday, August 13, Commissioner Abdi Guliye ordered politicians and anyone who had no specific duty to vacate the tallying centre where the verification of the Forms 34A and 34B is taking place.
Guliye stated that the directive was in line with IEBC's plan to hasten the verification process and reduce interference from unauthorised individuals including politicians.
The Commissioner added that IEBC would only allow the Chief Agents of the presidential candidates, their deputies and clerks assisting in the verification process to access the auditorium.
"We have also given instructions at the gate that no one should be allowed at the venue. That is the instructions we have given to the police," Guliye stated.
However, election observers, diplomats and the media were allowed to stay on and monitor the process.
The decision by the electoral Commission did not sit well with the leaders drawn from Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja factions who protested the decision terming it unreasonable.
Since the commencement of the verification of the Forms 34B, various politicians allied to the two presidential candidates namely former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto have thronged the tallying center to monitor the process.
Their presence has, however, seen the process temporarily halted as the two factions clashed over the suspicious activity of some agents.
Earlier, while meeting with leaders elected on parties allied to Azimio, Narc Kenya leader, Martha Karua, requested the politicians to monitor the verification process to safeguard their votes.
In a bid to fasten the verification process, the Commission's chairperson, Wafula Chebukati, also announced that they had changed the process of submitting Forms 34A and 34B.
Chebukati announced that the Returning Officers would submit the forms to him first before submitting the same to various departments for verification.
By the time of the announcement, IEBC had verified and announced results from 84 constituencies.
