The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced on Sunday, August 7, that ward elections in five different wards across the country had been postponed due to the death of duly cleared candidates.
The commission is required by law to suspend an election if a candidate dies after being cleared.
The five wards include South Gem Ward in Siaya County, Kyome/Thaana Kitui County Mwingi West constituency, Oloimasani Ward in Narok County Emurua Diki Constituency, Mumias North in Kakamega and Utawala Ward in Nairobi County Embakasi East Constituency.
“IEBC suspends the election in the four wards owing to the death of candidates listed, and we shall communicate vide a Gazette Notice when the said elections will be conducted,” read part of a Gazette Notice dated July 26.
Latest ward to be affected is Mumias North where Abdalla Kweyu, a Member of County Assembly (MCA) aspirant succumbed to road accident injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Nick Otieno Wanga, a member of the Orange Democratic Movement, died while receiving treatment at a Kisumu hospital just a month before the General Election. He was running for MCA in South Gem Siaya County.
Utawala ward in Embakasi East also lost a candidate Michael Mwathi Gitonga where electorates will have to wait longer before they can vote in their representative.
Stanley Ngui Muthengi of Thaana in Kitui county died in a fatal car accident.
Marcelly Kitonui Kirui of Narok County’s Oloimasani ward died after being cleared to run for office.
Following that, voters in the affected wards will be able to vote for the five elective positions, with the exception of the County Assembly Member.
Other reasons for election postponement may include court decisions arriving late, which may affect the timelines of the electoral management body, which may have little or no choice but to push forward the voting.
“When it becomes impossible for us to perform our functions, we postpone the election for that specific area,” Chebukati told journalists on July 18.