BY SAM ALFAN.
A petition has been lodged seeking to stop next year’s election to August 2023.
Former nominated senator Paul Njoroge Ben wants the high court to postpone the August, 2022 general elections saying the electoral body was not properly constituted.
Njoroge says the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not have a substantive chief executive officer (CEO) when it settled on August 9, 2022 as next year’s general election.
“The intended Presidential Elections of August 9, 2022 is imposed on the People of Kenya and is therefore, illegal, irregular and illegitimate,” Njoroge in court papers.
Former senator argues that pursuant to the declaration, IEBC has embarked and initiated very costly and ambitious administrative processes including tendering for and procurement of various hardware and software materials and personnel to be used during the elections.
He says at the time of tendering and procurement of various hardware and software materials and personnel, IEBC was improperly constituted as it did not have the requisite proper quorum of its commissioners.
He says the government has allocated billions ahead of the elections and more are yet to be released to meet IEBC’s budgetary needs.
In his court documents, Njoroge argues that there is or exists serious danger or risk that EIBC will continue to hold and conduct the said intended Presidential Elections of August 9, 2022 and the Respondents will proceed to release and or allocate the further or remaining sums of monies to the 1st Respondent which would be extremely detrimental to the tax-payers and people of Kenya.
