Wafula Chebukati to meet Uhuru and Raila Odinga

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati. He has said in the past that the repeat presidential election will continue as scheduled. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• IEBC Spokesperson Andrew Limo told the Nation that the meeting would start at 11am, with the commission holding talks with President Kenyatta first before meeting Mr Odinga at 3pm.
• During the meeting, Mr Chebukati will make another attempt to break the stalemate between the ruling Jubilee party and Nasa over the October 26 fresh presidential election.

By PATRICK LANG'AT
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The electoral commission is set for a meeting with President Kenyatta and National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga on repeat presidential election plans.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati s expected to lead the meeting at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

REPEAT POLL

IEBC Spokesperson Andrew Limo told the Nation that the meeting would start at 11am, with the commission holding talks with President Kenyatta first before meeting Mr Odinga at 3pm.

During the meeting, Mr Chebukati will make another attempt to break the stalemate between the ruling Jubilee party and Nasa over the October 26 fresh presidential election.

Last week, Mr Odinga’s representatives walked out of a meeting, protesting Jubilee Party’s proposed amendments on electoral laws.

“We look forward to meeting with the presidential candidates today. We hope to create a common understanding on the 26th October poll,” the agency said on its official Twitter page.

During the last meeting, IEBC, while stating that it was preparing for the repeat elections as ordered by the Supreme Court in its historic September 1 ruling, said the proposed changes to the election laws were unnecessary.

SANCTIONS

President Kenyatta was represented by Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, Senate Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki, Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju, and party chief agent Davis Chirchir.

Siaya Senator and lawyer James Orengo represented Nasa with his counterparts Paul Mwangi and coalition Chief Executive Norman Magaya.

Following the collapse of the talks, Mr Chebukati said he would seek to meet Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta in person and not their representatives to avoid what he termed as “sideshows”.

The IEBC on Monday met envoys led by US’ Robert Godec and the European Union team at the Bomas of Kenya where the West voiced its support for the commission, and called for a halt of the laws, saying the timing was not right.

The diplomats, who also included those from Canada and Australia, warned threatened sanctions against hardliners inciting public to violence ahead of the fresh poll.