Kenya to hold new presidential vote this October

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Kenya's election commission on Monday set October 17 as the date for a new vote ordered by the Supreme Court when it annulled an August poll won by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The election will feature Kenyatta who is running for a second term and opposition leader Raila Odinga, the commission said.

A presidential spokesman said the government will not replace the election board ahead of the election, setting up a potential showdown between the government and the opposition.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (R) addresses a crowd, Sept. 1, 2017, in a Nairobi suburb. /AFP Photo

Kenyatta won the August 8 vote by 1.4 million votes. The court on Friday said the election commission had not followed proper procedures and ordered it to hold a new vote within 60 days. It did not stipulate any personnel changes.

The decision shocked some in Kenya and was seen by many as a step forward for democracy in the country because it appeared to set an example of judicial independence.

Odinga, who lost the two previous elections, welcomed the judgement and called for senior officials at the election board to resign and face possible prosecution.

Supporters of Kenya's opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) celebrate in the streets of the Nairobi slum Mathare, Sept. 1, 2017. /AFP Photo

Spokesmen for Kenyatta and the election board rejected a change to the entire board.

"The Supreme Court gave clear guidance on who will hold the repeat election. You cannot accept one half of the verdict of the Supreme Court and not the other," said presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu.

Andrew Limo, a spokesman for the electoral board, said the situation was complicated by the fact that the court would not release its full verdict until September 21.

Judges read short remarks criticizing the process but did not go into detail, saying they needed more time to consider more than 80,000 pages submitted as evidence.

Judges stand to deliver their verdict at the Supreme Court in Nairobi, Sept. 1, 2017, ordering a new presidential election within 60 days after cancelling the results of last month's poll. /AFP Photo

"If you want to punish people, you must have a basis for it. But the only basis is the full judgement of the Supreme Court, which will not be out until 21 days," Limo said.

"Otherwise the commission could get into a position of defending itself in court from people who were dismissed."

Odinga's spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

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Source(s): Reuters