The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has approved only four out of the 50 presidential candidates to run in the upcoming elections in August. If no other candidate will be approved, this will be the lowest number of candidates in many years.
Those who have been approved are:
- David Mwaura Waihiga (Agano Party)
- George Wajackoyah (Roots Party)
- Raila Odinga (Azimio Coalition)
- William Ruto (UDA)
Others such as Jimi Wanjigi, Ekuru Aukot, Jeremiah Nyagah, and Reuben Kigame among others were disqualified on various grounds including not having degrees and not meeting the required number of signatures from counties.
The majority of those who have been disqualified have vowed to take the battle to the corridors of justice, promising a battle like no other to the electoral body. Wafula Chebukati, the Chair of the IEBC has said, “Bring it on. The law is very clear.”
At the same time, the IEBC has declined to disqualify more than 200 candidates for various positions contained in a report handed to them from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission citing the “innocent until proven guilty rule.”
Mike Sonko is the only Governor Aspirant who has been disqualified because he was impeached while serving as Governor for Nairobi County. He had moved to Mombasa to contest for the same position before Chebukati put a brake on his ambitions. He has since moved to court.
With less than 64 days remaining for the general elections in Kenya, concerns have emerged about the preparedness of the IEBC to handle the elections. Civil societies have come out, guns blazing saying that the electoral body is busy preparing to fail.
For instance, the IEBC has not made available the updated voters register. It has also not made public the systems that will be used to transmit the results from the polling stations although Wafula Chebukati has insisted that all is well.
