Residents of the Kakamega and Mombasa counties will now have a chance to elect new governors after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that the exercise would take place before the end of August.
Speaking during a forum at the Bomas of Kenya on Monday, August 22, the team headed by Chairman Wafula Chebukati noted that the exercise was scheduled to take place on Monday, August 29.
The decision was arrived at following a private meeting between Chebukati and the IEBC commissioners.
This is after the exercise, which was scheduled for August 9, failed to take off following errors on ballot papers in both counties.
Elections will also take place in six additional arrears where voting had been shelved.
The other affected regions were Kitui Rural Constituency in Kitui County, Kacheliba Constituency in West Pokot County, Pokot South Constituency also in West Pokot County and Rongai Constituency (Nakuru County). All the vacant positions were for the MP positions.
Some of the candidates who were at the event lamented to Chebukati that the set date was too close limiting their campaign period. One in particular wanted the election postponed to September.
"We have only four days to campaign, it is too short. What I am proposing chair is to campaign till end of this month," suggested one of the candidates present amidst jeers from his colleagues.
A shouting match soon erupted amongst the agents leading to Chebukati's final declaration that the election be scheduled for August 29.
"Your motion has been defeated by the others. Please, let's not make this a long meeting," stated Chebukati.
The IEBC Chairman had invited the candidates affected by the suspension of gubernatorial and parliamentary elections for the meeting ahead of the elections.
The meeting was aimed at ironing out issues pertaining to the postponement of the elections.
Some politicians from Mombasa County, including gubernatorial race contender Abdulswammad Nassir, had demanded the election to be carried out on Tuesday, August 23.
