IEBC sets March 2021 for Matungu by-election

The electoral agency has set March 4, 2021 as the date for the Matungu Constituency by-election to be held alongside five ward mini-polls.

The Matungu mini-poll is to find a successor for Justus Murunga who died last month.

Ward by-elections, on the other hand, will be held in Huruma Ward (Uasin Gishu), Hell’s Gate Ward (Nakuru), London Ward (Nakuru), Kiamakoma Ward (Kisii) and Kitise/Kithuku Ward (Makueni).

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) acting chief executive, Marjan Hussein Marjan, said the Matungu mini-poll as well as the by-elections in the five wards will likely happen on the same day as those of the Machakos senatorial and Kabuchai parliamentary seats. 

This is awaiting the declaration of vacancies in the seats following the death of Machakos senator Boniface Kabaka and Kabuchai MP James Mukwe Lusweti who both passed on this month.

“We are waiting to receive the writs from the Speakers of the two Houses declaring the seats vacant before we can set the by-election dates in Machakos for the Senate seat and Kabuchai for the MPP seat,” said Mr Hussein.

Ground to flex muscles 

The different by-elections will likely offer another battleground for flexing of muscles between Deputy President William Ruto and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga who had squared it out in Msambweni, a poll won by independent candidate Feisal Bader, who was backed by the DP.

In Matungu and Kabuchai, both in the expansive Western province where Dr Ruto has been making inroads and Mr Odinga still enjoys considerable clout, the races will likely involve the influence of Amani National Congress (ANC), which held the Matungu seat, and its leader Musalia Mudavadi. Kabuchai is in Bungoma County where Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula comes from. 

In the Gazette notice declaring the by-elections in Matungu and the five wards, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said each political party intending to participate in the by-elections is to submit the names of the persons contesting in a party primary and the date of the party primary on or before December 21, 2020.

“The Commission shall publish, in the Gazette, the names of the persons contesting in a party primary and the date of the party primary within seven days of receipt of the names of the candidates,” Mr Chebukati said in a notice. 

Those parties intending to present candidates in this election through direct nominations, Mr Chebukati said, shall submit the list of persons nominated to contest to the Commission on or before January 4, 2021.

The independent candidates, he said, should have ceased to be members of political parties three months immediately before March 4, 2021, the date of the by-election.

IEBC will receive nomination papers from the candidates on January 11 and 12 next year and the candidates, both independent and those backed by parties, shall submit their papers to the commission for assessment before being approved as candidates.