Kenya’s Presidential Election: IEBC Disqualifies 10 Aspirants

Barely four months before the long-awaited general elections takes place, Kenya continues to witness a long queue of its aspirants has been disqualified by the IEBC.

Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recently released a list of ten aspirants which it disqualified from the August 8, 2017, General Election.

The commission reached a decision on Saturday, May 27, a day before the deadline set for the presidential aspirants to present their papers to the electoral body.

Read Also: Raila Odinga Visits Israel Ahead of Elections To Pray At The Wailing Wall

Shockingly, among those candidates whoa re disqualified for the contest include Kenya’s the only female presidential aspirant Nazlin Umar.

The rest include Muthiora Kariara, Japhet Kavinga, Stephen Owoko Oganga, David Munga, Erastus Nyamera, Peter Solomon Gichira, Michael Orenge and Peter Osotsi Odeng.

The ten independent presidential aspirants were disqualified after they failed to meet the requirements set by the electoral body.

The IEBC requested for the aspirants to produce their detailed academic papers plus at least 48,000 signatures from Kenyans who are not affiliated to any political party in 24 counties. This, they viciously opposed.

The female presidential aspirant Umar, particularly admitted to a news media on Friday evening, that she does not have a university degree which is a requirement for presidential aspirants.

With this aouncement from the IEBC, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political challenges have reduced to seven which include his main rival and NASA leader Raila Odinga, Mwalimu Abduba Dida, Ekuru Aukot, Cyrus Jirongo, Joe Nyagah, Justus Juma and Michael Wainaina Mwaura.

Nevertheless, the race has not ceased to be chaotic. This was evident in the past primaries conducted by various parties in the country.

The primaries were not without cases of armed men with machetes and whips seen disrupting a nomination exercises while some were seen attacking party officials, accusing them of plaing to rig the exercise.

Two people were reportedly killed following clashes between rival political groups and much more have been injured since the exercise kicked off on 13 April.

The primaries, which end on 30 April, were managed by political parties, which struggled with the logistics of holding an election.

Read Also: Uhuru Meets Prince William At The End Of His Three-Day UK Visit

Some of the main problems they encountered at the primaries included delays in delivering voting materials to the right polling stations. While some are accused of making plans to rig the elections with pre-marked ballot papers being intercepted.

As the days draw near, a number of Kenyans fear that the violence that would erupt in the process my go beyond what government could Manage.

But, Ken Opalo, from Georgetown University in the US, says that the risk for violence is unlikely to be at the levels 10 years ago:

“I am not too worried about the national elections. The real action will likely be at the county level. There will most certainly be violence. But again, that will be more a reflection of what is at stake, rather than some descent into complete chaos and state failure,” he said.