IEBC will Not Conduct Political Party Primaries - Chebukati Announces

New IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has announced that the electoral body will not be able to conduct political party primaries.

Speaking on Saturday, Chebukati pointed out that the commission lacked enough capacity to conduct the nominations dealing a major blow to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party.

Last year, the President and His deputy William Ruto proposed that their party primaries be held by the electoral body to ensure the nominations were free and fair.

According to the Head of State, a credible nomination would avert a possible fall out among Jubilee aspirants. 

In 2016, the National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said that they would use their numbers in Parliament to ensure that Treasury releases funds for IEBC to conduct its primaries.

“Our work is to request the IEBC to oversee Jubilee Party’s nominations, then the commission should present its budget to the National Treasury for funds,” Duale stated.

ODM leader Raila Odinga had opposed the idea of IEBC being involved in party primaries claiming it would compromise its credibility.