Marende to declare Kangema, Kajiado North and Ndhiwa constituencies vacant

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende will finally in the next 24 hours issue writs for the three constituencies left vacant following the deaths of former Environment Minister John Michuki, Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti and his assistant Orwa Ojode.

Speaking while meeting an European Union delegation at his office, Marende said he will declare Kangema, Kajiado North and Ndhiwa constituencies vacant and had also gotten an assurance from Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission- IEBC yesterday that they were ready conduct the by-election exercises.

The speaker before refused to declare the three seats vacant because the president had not yet assented to the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2012 and had instead referred it back to parliament for amendment of controversial sections.

The Elections Act was amended, through the compilation law, to enable Marende to issue writs declaring the three seats vacant paving the way for the by-elections, whose dates IEBC will set within the next 14 days.

AUTHOR: MAC OTANI