George Magoha: In case of repeat election, schools won't be closed

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) George Magoha has said that should the presidential election be successfully challenged in court, and a repeat poll ordered, secondary schools won't be closed for more than a day.

Magoha said this would avert the loss of more time in the already constrained academic calendar.

In the run-up to the August 9, 2022 General Election, schools were closed on August 2. Resumption of learning is scheduled for Thursday, August 18.

Speaking at Makadara Sub-County in Nairobi on Wednesday, August 17, Magoha said secondary schools won't lose more time in case of repeat polls.

The CS has suggested that colleges, polytechnics and even universities be used for vote-tallying instead of secondary and primary schools.

Going by the recent presidential election, where some constituencies took almost four days to complete their tally, the learners risk losing more time if the schools are closed should there be repeat polls.

"If the tallying of votes is supposed to, let's say, take place at a secondary school, we want to urge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to relocate the tallying centre to institutions of higher learning. This will avert the loss of more time in the academic calendar," said Magoha when he commissioned CBC classrooms in Makadara and Embakasi areas.

In the August 9 presidential election, Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner with 7.18 million votes against his competitor Raila Odinga's 6.94 million.

Odinga has since vowed to appeal the declaration of Ruto as president-elect, saying IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati overruled a majority of the commissioners during tallying.

Odinga, who ran on Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party, has until 2pm on Monday, August 22 to file his petition at the Supreme Court.

Should his petition be successful, the IEBC will have to conduct a fresh presidential election within 60 days.