The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on July 7, 2018 conducted elections of the students’ council in Makueni High School making it the first school to have its elections conducted by the commission.
Makueni Returning officer Ibrahim Guyo stated that they were doing it at no fee since the school is the county commissions tallying centre.
“This is like a CSR exercise.The school being the County tallying Centre we felt there was a need to give back to the school,”Guyo stated.
Ibrahim Guyo also stated that the form four students who don’t participate in the elections had been trained to act as polling Clerks and presiding officers in the elections.
Following complains by the students thay the process wasn’t fair,the School Principal Raphael Diwani stated that they chose to patner with IEBC.
“Initially a majority of students felt that the teachers were imposing student leaders on them by manipulating the results and that is why this year we felt that we should conduct an independent body,”Diwani said.
He further stated that the idea was also for empowering students eapecially the form four leaving school.
“You realize that some of these form four students who were trained to act as polling clerks and presiding officers will stand a better chance to work with IEBC in the coming general elections because they will have an experience,”said Diwani.
He alao said that doing posters by candidates and other campaign materials were supported by the school for the purpose of giving them a level playfield.
The candidates had a three-day campaign period as added by Diwani.
The super contested seat in the elections is the Students Council Chairmanwhich states to be the overall student leader which attracted two candidates,Morris Musee and Eric Mumo Musyoka.
Deputy Chairman,Secretary General,Boarding Secretary,Games Secretary were other contested seats in the school among others.
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