Sifuna Hits Out at IEBC Over Warning to Postpone Ol Kalou By-Election

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has criticized the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over its warning that the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election could be postponed if electoral laws continue to be violated.

In a statement on Thursday, July 9, he accused the electoral agency of failing to enforce the law against those allegedly engaging in illegal campaign activities.

Sifuna argued that the commission should take action against specific offenders instead of issuing broad warnings that affect all participants in the race.

"This is just IEBC running away from responsibility. Everyone can see who is violating the law. The commission should punish those openly bribing voters and using state resources to campaign.

"Instead it creates a false equivalence and threatens to punish everyone. Very escapist," he wrote.

Earlier Thursday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon warned that the Commission could postpone or even cancel the upcoming by-elections in Ol Kalou.

He revealed that there have been several violations of the elections code of conduct, including voter bribery.

Ethekon further raised an alarm over the goon violence and night campaigns, which he established posed a threat to conducting a peaceful election.

He stated that the Commission was holding talks with the security officials and stakeholders on the viability of holding the mini-poll and is set to issue its final decision on Monday, July 13.

"If, while working with security officials and other stakeholders, we find that the environment is not conducive enough for us to conduct the by-election in Ol Kalou, we will be left with no choice other than to take the most unfortunate step of postponing the elections. If that is not enough, we will cancel it altogether," he stated.

Ethekon added that several candidates are also under probe and that if any of them are found culpable, they would be disqualified from the by-election.

"If we find any culpability or any breaches of the Electoral Code of Conduct, the proper remedies shall apply, including disqualifying some of those candidates, if not all of them," he added.