Kenya will hold fresh presidential elections on October 17, the electoral commission has announced.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will face opposition leader Raila Odinga again following the supreme court’s ruling last week to nullify the results of the August 8 polls which gave victory to Mr Kenyatta.
The new elections will be held in just over 40 days, well within the time limit set by the supreme court ruling which said the fresh polls must be held within 60 days.
Kenya’s supreme court annulled the elections, saying that the commission had committed irregularities in adding up the votes.
President Uhuru Kenyatta criticised the court decision, calling the judges “crooks”, but said he would win again in the second elections.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for the electoral commission to be disbanded and new officials to be appointed so that the fresh elections would be fair and accurate.
The electoral commission is “revising the operational and procedural requirements for the conduct of the fresh election and will share details with stakholders,” said chairman Wafula Chebukati.
He asked for the Supreme Court to issue a detailed judgment “in order to allow the commission to identify areas that require improvement in the management of the fresh election”.
Mr Chebukati said the commission and other election participants will “work together to deliver free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.”
