The Wafula Chebukati led Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has confirmed it will ban all aspirants eyeing various political seats from holding any harambees.
According to IEBC, aspirants interested in the 2022 general elections such as DP Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga only have one week to engage in public harambees.
This news was broken by Mr. Wafula Chebukati while appearing before the Senate’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee. He reminded those willing to participate in harambees to do so before 9th December because they will not be allowed to grace them after that.
As a result, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) maintained that those caught involving themselves in harambees either directly or indirectly will be liable to electoral offence.
“On the issue of harambees, after December 9, it becomes an election offence, ” he said.
He added that those who hold harambees after the mentioned date risk being disqualified because they will have contravened Section 26 of the Election Act.
“A person who directly or indirectly participates in any manner in any or public fundraising or harambee within eight months preceding a general election or during an election period, in any other case, shall be disqualified from contesting in the election held during that election year or election period,” read the act.
However, the aspirants will only be allowed to attend fundraisers meant for them or for their registered political parties.
The JLAC Committee under the leadership of senator Omogeni further put the Chebukati led commission to explain whether they were.
To give confidence, Wafula Chebukati made it clear that they will work closely with the Directorate Of Public Prosecution in a bid to prosecute aspirants that break these electoral regulations.
With regards to the academic documents, IEBC stated that they will closely engage the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and the Commission for University Education to verify academic credentials for all the aspirants.
“We have an arrangement where we are going to have a tripartite agreement and they will help us to vet these academic documents,”
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