As the people of Olkalou prepare to elect their next MP in this week’s by-elections, all eyes are now on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Leaders and elections observers are urging the electoral body to ensure credible elections in the Olkalou by-election.
High Court Lawyer and Nakuru Town East Constituency Parliamentary seat Aspirant on DCP ticket Boniface Ndumia has joined the voices calling on IEBC to ensure credible elections.
In a press release just two days to the by-elections, Wakili Ndumia as he is famously known among Nakuru Town East Constituents, has termed the Olkalou by-election a litmus test for the electoral body.
While terming it a major by-election, the NTE DCP Aspirant was categorical that it will play key in defining the future of the nation.
According to him, if the by-elections are bangled, then the confidence of Kenyans in IEBC will be eroded moving to 2027 general elections.
“It might be a defining week for the future of our Republic. We have a major By- election in Olkalau- which if bangled – it would erode the confidence of Kenyans in the IEBC and the credibility of the electoral process next year,” he stated.
He at the same time added, “It is not about who wins that is important to patriots like us, but how well the IEBC conducts this By – Election. And how the state operatives handle the whole process.”
The Legal expert argues that any form of voter intimidation might not sit well with Kenyans and that it will give all the wrong signals to the Kenyan Electorate yet the last thing we need as a country are tensions, anxieties or fear as we head to the next year’s general election.
“It will send the wrong signals to the international community and the investors and business community. Our economy cannot afford such a shock at this moment; as mismanaged as it is,” he said.
Ndumia has also appealed to Kenyans to pray for peace to prevail during and after the elections.