We must maintain peace on the week repeat poll is scheduled

This week will be a defining moment for Kenya. The impasse over the repeat presidential election is still unresolved, even as the electoral agency puts final touches for polling day on Thursday. Part of the uncertainty is because this will be the first time a presidential poll will be repeated — the August 8 poll was invalidated by the Supreme Court after it agreed with the petitioners that the illegalities and irregularities committed by the IEBC negated the spirit of fairness in that election.

The apprehension ahead of this week has been aggravated by the main opposition party’s call for voters to boycott the repeat presidential elections on account of the IEBC’s own admission that it has been unable to reform itself to effectively conduct a free and credible election. With the National Super Alliance’s (NASA) insistence that elections will not be held, even though legal provisions to stop it may be difficult to summon, the uncertainty is suppressing business activity and strangling vital economic sectors.