As the country gears up for the next General Election to be held exactly a year from now, there is a need for fair competition for all the positions from the wards to the highest office in the land, the national presidency.
However, a High Court ruling that the election should have been held this year has stirred some controversy. But the court clarified that the arrangements for the elections on August 10, next year, should continue in earnest. It explained that ordering an immediate poll could have plunged the country into chaos.
According to Judge Mugure Thande, the fifth year following the August 2022 General Election began on August 9, this year, but she suspended the declaration of invalidity until after the August 10, 2027 poll. The bone of contention is whether the Constitution guarantees elected leaders a full five-year term or requires elections in the fifth year of the electoral cycle. This should be cleared once and for all.
For now, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should forge ahead with the preparations, including updating voter registers.
Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon and his team, who will be managing their first full poll, have promised efficiency and transparency. They have already tested the waters with several by-elections. The IEBC should speed up efforts to ensure a free and fair election. They include timely procurement, testing systems, and enforcing compliance with campaign financing and the electoral code of conduct.
Parliament should enact election laws. Police should get ready to deal with electoral violence and the rising goon culture. The courts should clear all election-related cases to avoid last-minute rulings that could disrupt poll planning.
The IEBC must scrutinise the budgets, voter identification and the results transmission technology to enhance transparency. All eligible Kenyans need to freely cast their ballots to choose their leaders.
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