IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba. Nasa wants him to resign for allegedly bungling August 8 elections. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been applauded for its latest statement re-affirming that the fresh presidential election will be held on October 26.
In a statement, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance says the prolonged political uncertainty and frequent disruptions arising from this election period are undermining Kenya’s competitiveness in an increasingly competitive global economy.
KEPSA says that as a result of the uncertainty, several businesses have had to differ investment spending and delay expansion before the repeat election.
“The linkages that tie businesses within a complex, integrated modern economy mean that the ripple effects of such decisions have spread to all businesses, and especially, much to our mounting alarm, to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which account for a large proportion of Kenya’s businesses, and on which much of our economic growth is premised,” KEPSA said in the statement.
The Alliance also demanded that politicians allow independent institutions execute their mandate and in turn they be non-partisan.
“The IEBC must execute its mandate in manner that does not undermine Kenyans’ confidence in the conduct of the electoral process, and in the outcomes of this process,” said KEPSA.
The National Super Alliance (Nasa) has been holding protests against the IEBC for three weeks now.
The opposition leaders want certain changes made at the polls body before the repeat election.
Nasa leader Raila Odinga has withdrawn from the race, after IEBC failed to meet their irreducible minimums for the election.