By Judith Gicobi
For eight election areas, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i has announced Monday, August 29 to be a public holiday.
Mombasa County, Kakamega County, Kacheliba Constituency (West Pokot), Pokot South Constituency, Kitui Rural Constituency, and Rongai Constituency (Nakuru County) are among the eight locations.
The other two regions are Nyaki West Ward in Imenti North Constituency, Meru County, and Kwa Njenga Ward in Embakasi South Constituency, Nairobi County.
The break only applies to the areas specified, not the entire nation, the minister stated in a news release dated Friday, August 26.
“Employers around the country are requested to release their employees who are registered as voters in the listed election areas to enable them to vote,” Matiang’i said.
Elections in the mentioned areas, which were originally scheduled for August 9 but were postponed due to ballot paper confusion, violence, and voting delays, will now take place.
In a special gazette notice, Number 9957 dated Friday, August 25, 2022, Matiang’i stated: “Under the Employment Act, it is a criminal offence for any employer to fail to release their employees to vote.”
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was given permission earlier this week to utilize day schools as voting places because they would only be closed on that election day (Monday, August 29).
George Magoha, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, stated that if tallying continues into the following day, the IEBC will have to relocate the activity to colleges and polytechnics.
On the other hand, boarding school students won’t be impacted by the elections.
New governors will be elected by voters in Mombasa and Kakamega, while new members of parliament will be elected by voters in the Kacheliba, Kitui Rural, Pokot South, and Rongai seats.
The residents of the wards of Nyaki West and Kwa Njenga will elect their new MCAs.
