iebc.or.ke Frequently Asked Questions FAQs : Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Kenya

Organisation : Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
Facility : Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
Country : Kenya

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs : http://www.iebc.or.ke/index.php/2015-01-15-11-10-24/faqs
Home Page : http://www.iebc.or.ke/

What qualifications should contestants to various political seats have? :
President and Running Mate :
1. Must be a Kenyan citizen by birth
2. Must not hold dual citizenship
3. Is qualified to stand for election as a Member of Parliament
4. Must be a registered voter
5. Is a holder of a degree from a University recognized in Kenya
6. Is nominated by a Political Party or is an Independent Candidate

Governor and Running Mate :
1. Must be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election
2. Must not hold dual citizenship
3. Must be a registered voter
4. Is a holder of a degree from a University recognized in Kenya
5. Is nominated by a Political Party or is an Independent Candidate

Senator :
1. Must be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election
2. Must not hold dual citizenship
3. Must be a registered voter
4. Is a holder of a Diploma certificate or other post secondary qualification acquired after a period of three months recognized by the relevant Ministry
5. Is nominated by a Political Party or is an Independent Candidate

Member of National Assembly and County Woman Representative :
1. Must be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election
2. Must not hold dual citizenship
3. Must be a registered voter
4. Is a holder of a Diploma certificate or other post secondary qualification acquired after a period of three months recognized by the relevant Ministry
5. Is nominated by a Political Party or is an Independent Candidate

Member of County Assembly :
1. Must be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election
2. Must not hold dual citizenship
3. Must be a registered voter
4. Is a holder of a Diploma certificate or other post secondary qualification acquired
5. Is nominated by a Political Party or is an Independent Candidate

Does the law requiring civil servants who wish to contest in elections six months prior apply for the 2017 polls? :
YES. Section 43(5) of the Elections Act 2011 states that “a public officer who intends to contest an election under this Act shall resign from public office at least six months before the date of election”. However, this does not apply to the President; the Deputy President; member of Parliament; a county governor; a deputy county governor; and a member of a county assembly.

When is Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ending? :
Continuous voter registration does not end. It simply stops whenever there is a by-election in the affected areas. It stops from the date of the occurrence of a vacancy until an election is held then resumes.

Can a voter register in registration centre A and vote in polling station B? :
NO. One is supposed to register where he intends to vote. This is because a voter register is polling station specific. i.e. names of persons who registered in registration centre A will find their names in the register of voters for polling station A and not for polling station B or C or any other polling station.

How do I transfer my registration from one constituency to another? :
To transfer your registration from one constituency to another, visit the IEBC office in your constituency of choice and upon presentation of you identification documents asked the registration officer to facilitate the transfer by filling FORM D.

How many registers of voters does the commission have? :
The commission has only one principal register of voters which comprise of :
** a poll register in respect of every polling station;
** a ward register in respect of every ward;
** a constituency register in respect of every constituency;
** a county register in respect of every county; and
** a register of voters residing outside Kenya.

What do I need to register as a voter? :
To register as a voter you must be a Kenyan citizen. This is evidenced by your national ID or passport and you must be 18 years and above.

Between the final result and electronic result which is the correct result? :
The electronic results give the same or nearly the same tally with the final results by hard copy. But the law is yet to recognize electronic results so we call it “provisional results”. The results recorded on the statutory forms/results declaration forms signed by the presiding officer or the returning officer and the agents are the official results and are binding in law. The provisional results are lifted from the entries on these forms.

What does the law say when a candidate withdraws from the race in any election? :
If a candidate intends to withdraw from a race, s/he withdraws in writing addressed to the returning officer of the respective election. The returning officer will receive the letter and proceed to remove the candidate from the ballot paper. However, there have been some candidates who withdraw very late when the ballot papers have been printed. In this case elections have proceeded with their names on the ballot papers.

Is there any period within which a person should withdraw? :
There is no such period in law but the Commission is working for an amendment of the Electoral Law in a way that discourages last minute withdrawals.

In case a candidate withdraws what happens? Is the election allowed to proceed without the name of the person or the election is cancelled? :
It depends. If a candidate withdraws and two or more candidates are left in the race, the election proceeds. If a candidate withdraws and one candidate is left in the race we declare a “no contest”.