Beginning May 28 to June 2, Kenyan politicians barred by IEBC from participating in the August polls will be known as the polls body is set to reveal their names.
Key allies to President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition chief Raila Odinga’s may be in for a shocker as by returning officers inform them of the IEBC decision which is being taken for integrity reasons.
The list which has been kept in high secrecy is likely to be met with a huge uproar as speculation is rife that some high profile politicians will be affected.
The first-ever electoral clean-up comes on the heels of the vetting of 15,082 hopefuls by inter-agency teams of experts which was completed yesterday.
A report has since been sent to the IEBC but the list has been held in high secrecy.
The commission led by Wafula Chebukati is slated to confidentially instruct returning officers to reject nomination papers from blacklisted hopefuls.
Those blacklisted will not have advance notice to avoid a rush to court seeking injunctions that ate liberally issued in Kenya.
Those facing the threat of being blacklisted include those who have been implicated in mega corruption scandals, those will pending criminal, corruption as well as hate speect cases, those will dubious academic certificates among others.
Returning officers will receive letters asking them not to accept nomination papers for those blacklisted.
Rights groups in Kenya provided a list of about 20 politicians that the feel should be blacklisted by the agency.
IEBC commissioner Roselyne Akombe
“We will write to all returning officers with clear instructions not to receive nomination papers from such candidates,” IEBC commissioner Roselyne Akombe said.
She said that the electoral agency will rely on verdict of the investigating team to decide who should be locked out.
Presidential candidates will submit nomination papers to the IEBC chairman, who is the presidential returning officer, on Sunday and Monday next week officially ushering in the official 60-day campaign period.
Governors, senators and woman representative candidates present their nomination papers to county returning officers from May 28 to June 2 while Parliamentary and MCA candidates will get their turn between June 1 and 2.
