Matungu Constituency by-election has been set for March 4, 2021, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced.
In a gazette notice, IEBC said the by-election will be held alongside Huruma, London, Hell’s Gate, Kiamokama and Kitise/Kithuku ward polls.
This comes just days after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi declared the Matungu Parliamentary seat vacant following the death of Justus Murunga.
Wafula Chebukati, the IEBC Chairperson, said each political party intending to participate in the by-elections is to submit the names of the persons contesting in a party primary and the date of the party primary on or before December 21, 2020.
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“The Commission shall publish, in the Gazette, the names of the persons contesting in a party primary and the date of the party primary within seven days of receipt of the names of the candidates,” the gazette notice dated December 15 reads.
The IEBC boss said candidates intending to participate in the by-elections as independent candidates shall not have been members of any political party at least three months immediately before the gazetted date.
Further, political parties intending to present candidates in the by-elections through direct nominations shall submit the list of persons nominated to contest to the commission on or before January 4, 2021.
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Chebukati stated that the campaign period for purposes of the scheduled by-elections will commence on January 11, 2021, and cease on March 1, 2021, being 48 hours before the election day. Campaign time will run from 7a.m. to 6p.m for the said period.
“The registration and revision of the register of voters for the said electoral areas is suspended until March 18, 2021,” the gazette notice reads.
Murunga died on November 14 while being rushed to St Mary’s Hospital in Mumias.
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Two weeks earlier, he fell ill and was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu where he was treated for hypertension and diabetes.
He was buried on Saturday, December 5, at his home in Makunda Village, Kakamega County.
The by-election is likely to escalate political rivalry in the country ahead of the 2022 General Election as Deputy President William Ruto, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga and Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi flex political muscles.
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