Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday, September 16, 2022, stated that the lists of political parties detailing nominated candidates are closed and cannot be changed.

His declaration follows requests by some political parties to replace the names of nominees in the National Assembly party list.

“We wish to inform the public that as per the Constitution and the Elections Act, the party list remains a closed list as at the date of General Election and for the term of Parliament or County Assembly, as the case may be, for which the candidates are elected and cannot be changed unless through an order of the court,” chairman Wafula Chebukati said.

 Since the list was released, there has been an uproar with some Kenyans threatening to file petitions to stop the swearing-in of MCAs. In Murang’a, some UDA supporters said they were on the original list gazetted in July but were removed from the final list.

Narok residents also rejected the list alleging the inclusion of a “foreigner” and relatives of the newly elected governor.

The High Court last week ordered IEBC to gazette the name of Mombasa businessman Abubakar Talib as the Wiper nominated MP. 

Talib had been listed top on the party list but the party later replaced his name.