Civil Servants Eyeing Political Seats Must Quit By February

Civil servants looking to vie for elective seats in the 2022 general election must quit by February 7, 2022.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati made the announcement on Monday, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to enforcing Section 43(3) of the Elections Act 2011.

“That’s the law and it must be complied with. Let them resign and allow other Kenyans to take those positions,” he said.

The Act stipulates that; “A public officer who intends to contest an election under this Act shall resign from the public office at least six months before the date of the election.”

Chebukati also implored the National Assembly to pass the Election Campaign Financing Law. The law was presented on July 25, 2016, but is yet to be enacted.

The Act gives IEBC the authority to vary the spending limits by notice in the Gazette.

“We urge all stakeholders to interact with the document on expenditure limits and communicate to the Commission in the event they feel aggrieved,” Chebukati added.