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Kenya's electoral body kicks off preparations for 2017 polls

Xinhua, January 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya's electoral body on Thursday kicked off preparations for the 2017 general election.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Issack Hassan told a media briefing in Nairobi that they will incorporate lessons learnt from managing the 2013 general elections.

"The fact that one year and eight months before the elections we are able to unveil the Elections Operation Plan is a testimony to the fact that we will deliver credible elections," Hassan said.

The plan provides an integrated timeline towards the 2017 general elections, and sets out the resources required as well as the framework for monitoring process and managing risks associated with conducting electoral process.

The East African nation is set to hold elections in August 2017. Hassan said that management of elections in Kenya is a very difficult and complex task.

"It requires the right legal framework combined with voter education and registration as well as thorough polling day logistics," he said.

"We are counting on everyone's support, including all political parties to discharge their responsibilities in a more effective manner," he added.

The chairman said that based on the history of elections management in Kenya, the issue of trust is a continuous exercise.

"So as we start on a new path, the commission is committed to ensure that people of Kenya believe in the electoral process," he added.

He stated that all Kenyans will have access to electoral process as the there will be proactive sharing of information.

"We will be held accountable in terms of demonstrating that the investment that taxpayers have made in the electoral process bears fruits," he said, adding that the electoral body has spent time evaluating the challenges faced in the previous elections.

Ezra Chiloba, IEBC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said that his organization is eyeing to register at least eight million new voters through continuous and mass registration campaign.

Chiloba said that phase one of the mass voter registration will begin on Feb. 15 and end on March 15, while phase two will be done in early 2017. Enditem