Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has recruited 198 Presiding Officers (POs) and 1,330 polling clerks in Gilgil Constituency in preparation for the anticipated August 9 General Elections in the country.
Speaking to KNA, Gilgil Constituency IEBC Returning Officer (RO), Mr. Peter Muigai, said 190 presiding officers will man the 190 polling stations in the constituency while the remaining eight POs will be stationed at the tallying centre.
Muigai further explained that each polling centre will have seven polling clerks who will be performing different roles during the Election Day. He said the recruitment went on smoothly without any hitches except for a few incidences where one or two young people tried to present academic papers that were not authentic or altered.
The qualifications for POs was a degree or Diploma in any field with that of polling clerks being an aggregate of C- (C Minus ) and above in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
“But anyone who had a past experience was an added advantage,” Muigai said. Last month IEBC cleared four aspirants to vie for the Gilgil parliamentary seat in the coming General Elections.
The IEBC also cleared 55 candidates to fight it out for the five seats of Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) in Gilgil Constituency as independents and on various political parties.
Latest data from IEBC shows Gilgil Constituency has over 130,000 registered voters and 190 polling stations, serving the eight electoral wards.
The country goes to polls on August 9 with over 22million registered voters expected to elect their leaders at six level which include; the presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, county women representatives, members of parliament and members of county assemblies.
By Mabel Keya –Shikuku
