NAIROBI, Kenya- The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has ordered Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria to appear before its Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee after he failed to attend a hearing scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Monday over alleged breaches linked to the ongoing Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election campaigns.
The summons comes days after the commission intensified enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct ahead of the July 16 by-election, amid growing concerns over voter bribery, violence, illegal campaigns and other electoral malpractices reported in Ol Kalou.
According to the IEBC, Gikaria is required to respond to allegations that he breached the Electoral Code of Conduct during campaign activities in support of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate in Ol Kalou.
The allegations stem from campaign events in which the MP was captured distributing cash to residents.
Earlier, Gikaria defended the exercise, saying the money was intended as handouts and that residents were asked to provide their national identity card details only to account for beneficiaries, insisting the process had nothing to do with influencing the by-election.
The summons follows the commission’s recent ruling against Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, who was fined Sh1.5 million after being found to have breached the Electoral Code of Conduct over remarks made during an Ol Kalou campaign rally. T
he IEBC said the decision underscored its commitment to enforcing electoral laws ahead of the mini-poll.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has previously warned that the Ol Kalou by-election could be postponed if continued violations of the Electoral Code of Conduct threaten the credibility and security of the poll.
The commission has cited reports of violence, voter bribery, destruction of campaign materials, late-night campaigns and the mobilisation of gangs in the constituency.
Campaigns for the Ol Kalou by-election officially end at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, July 13, in line with the law requiring all political campaigns to cease 48 hours before polling day.