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Kenyan election delayed to October 26: polls commission

By AFP
Kenya A Kenyan election official counts ballot boxes at a polling station in Wamba.  By Cyril Villemain AFP
SEP 21, 2017 LISTEN
A Kenyan election official counts ballot boxes at a polling station in Wamba. By Cyril Villemain (AFP)

Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's new election has been delayed to October 26, the polls commission said Thursday, as it seeks more time to fix issues that led to the initial vote being annulled.

The decision comes a day after the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgement lambasting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for failing to properly conduct the election.

The court ordered a fresh election, which had initially been set for October 17. However doubts had piled up over the ability of the commission to conduct necessary reforms and preparations in such a short time.

In a statement, the IEBC said it had decided to push back the vote as the full court ruling "impacts on the election operations and in particular (the) technology to be deployed."

"In order to ensure that the commission is fully prepared to deliver an election that meets the standards set out by the Supreme Court, we wish to notify the public and all stakeholders that the fresh presidential election shall now be held on Thursday 26 October."

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