Kenya’s electoral authority might be compelled to push ahead the date set aside for the repeat of the presidential election, after a company providing biometric voter identification systems requested for more time to make upgrades.
The French Multinational Company, Safran Morpho, asked to have the poll date pushed to October 26, nine days ahead of the current set date, to allow it more time to upgrade the Kenya Integrated Elections Management Systems (KIEMS).
Officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are reported to be scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the request.
Kenyans will head back to the polls after the country’s Supreme Court nullified the August 17 presidential election, citing irregularities in the process.
The court ordered that the fresh elections be held within 60 days of the ruling made on September 1, and the IEBC settled on October 17.
The country’s main opposition NASA coalition has been demanding that the date be pushed forward, saying the electoral body should make reforms and punish its officers that were involved in irregularities in the last vote.
The ruling Jubilee party has, however, been conducting nationwide campaign saying the elections will go on as planned.
IEBC is set to meet both parties in the capital Nairobi on Wednesday, aimed at resolving the issues in order to have a smooth election.
