Kenya is set to conduct a presidential election re-run on October 17. This follows an order by the supreme court after nullifying the election of Uhuru Kenyatta in the recently concluded polls.
The election will see the incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta take on the opposition leader in what has turned into a grueling rematch.
The IEBC announced on Monday that a fresh presidential election shall be held on October 17, 2017.
“This is in conformity with the Supreme Court decision annulling the presidential election on August 8, 2017,” IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said in a press statement
Only President Uhuru and Raila Odinga will be on the ballot this time.
The IEBC followed an interpretation of what a fresh election means, a judgment that was offered by the Dr Willy Mutunga-led court in 2013.
“If the petitioner was only one of the candidates, and who had taken the second position in vote-tally to the President-elect, then the “fresh election” will, in law, be confined to the petitioner and the President-elect,” the court said in its judgment.
The polls will be conducted under the same rules and guidelines that govern the election of a president under the current constitution.
One will only be declared a winner if he hits the constitutional threshold of 50 per cent plus one vote and at least 25 per cent of the votes in at least 24 of the 47 counties.
Dr. Aukot, who was a presidential candidate in the previous election, he was on Monday threatening to go back to court after he was locked out.
“(The) decision by IEBC to lock other presidential candidates out of the fresh elections is invalid, illegal, and null and void. We are headed to court,” Dr Aukot said on Twitter.