IEBC and political parties meet for election plans

IEBC officials in Uasin Gishu county prepare polling materials ahead of distribution today (Monday) to their respective polling centers in readiness for tomorrow general election. The country has close to 1 000 polling centres with over 450 000 registered voters. Photo by Fredrick Kibor

The electoral agency and political party officials spent hours yesterday finalising their preparations for elections yesterday.

Agents from various political parties in Nairobi met with IEBC officials at Kasarani Stadium to learn what is expected of them during tomorrow's polls.

There was however a delay in starting the meeting after some party agents were barred from accessing the venue for lack of appointment letters.

"We came here with the hope of meeting IEBC officials so that they can take us through our roles during the voting process. There was however no formal communication and we are relying on word of mouth from some friends," said Kennedy Mutunga, a Jubilee Party agent.

The agents were required to have appointment letters from both IEBC and their political parties.

Agents affiliated to NASA momentarily protested outside the meeting venue, alleging a plot by IEBC to deny them letters. The issue was however resolved.

Distribution of ballot papers and other electoral materials will be done today in the city.

Meanwhile, IEBC on Saturday declared unstamped ballot papers inadmissible and told returning officers to validate and notify all presiding officers immediately they come across them.

The commission had on August 3 said unstamped ballots would still be valid, according to General Election Regulation 77, which lists reasons for rejection of ballot papers.

However, the 2017 amendment to the General Election Regulation 2012 outlawed the procedure, doing away with stamping as a validation requirement.

This has since changed and any ballot paper that will be cast without the stamp will be invalid. [Josephant Thiong'o]