The Office dispersed its teams across the country to join the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for a joint registration of candidates of various elective positions from 29th May to 3rd June,2022.
Lesuuda Naisula receives registration certificate from IEBC officials in one of the registration centres.
Staff members were grouped in over 15 clusters for different to supervise and oversee the ORPP County and Constituency Monitors whose presence was in all constituencies. A section of staff were also stationed at the Bomas of Kenya , the designated centre for the registration of presidential candidates. The exercise was part of IEBC role in Article 88 (4f) of the Constitution, where the Commission is responsible for registration of candidates for election. Teams involved were briefed and taken through exercise’s tool and expectations in a virtual meeting prior to the exercise on 27 May 2022. In the briefing, Assistant Registrar CPA Florence Birya termed the participation of ORPP in the exercise, critical stage at this phase of electoral period while calling for thoroughness and cooperation between ORPP staff, monitors and stakeholders involved.
“We expect you to facilitate the registration process and be present at county and constituency IEBC Centres since have a collaborative and consultative working arrangement with IEBC to achieve a successful electoral process. You are expected to facilitate the Returning Officer in verifying the membership status of political party and independent aspirants together with their proposers and seconders in your areas of jurisdiction,” said CPA Florence Birya in a virtual meeting.
Preceding the exercise, ICT department also undertook hand-on training for each of the region’s, monitors on the use of to the online web-based system (IPPMS), publicly available on website; https://ippms.orpp.or.ke besides the USSD mobile code, (*509#).
Monitors were reminded of ORPP scope of work during the exercise. “The ORPP’s mandate is to confirm the membership status of the candidates, proposers and seconders as anchored in section 34 (f) of the Political Parties Act, 2011 that empowers the Office to ensure and verify that no person is a member of more than one political party and notify the Commission of its findings”, guided Locha Erukudi, Manager, Registration in the pre-exercise briefing.
Registrar, Ann Nderitu (right) follow proceedings of registration process at the Bomas of Kenya
A call centre already established at ORPP headquarters to the election period to complement existing Office telephone lines, was activated in the period as a reporting centre for inquiries and source of prompt interventions including challenges that teams may have encountered. The centre was operated through the period.
On registration, it sets off official campaign period that runs from 30th May to 6th August, 2022. Calls have been prevalent for promotion of peace and harmony amongst party and independent candidates. “I call on political parties to hold their candidates responsible as well as those running as independent candidates to ensure peace at the homestretch to the general election”, Registrar of Parties, Ann Nderitu urged during a National Cohesion and Integration Commission electoral violence hotspot report launch on June. The parties and candidates are required to abide by the Electoral Code of Conduct, Political Parties Code of Conduct and other stipulated laws. Timelines issued by IEBC for registration had been delineated to various elective positions between 29th May 2022 and 7 June 2022 at the close of the exercise of candidates namely; David Mwaure Waihiga (Agano party), Prof. George Wajackoyah (Roots party), Raila Odinga (Azimio Coalition Political Party) and William Ruto (United Democratic Alliance-UDA).
Article originated by Silas Ketter