By Staff Reporter
As the long-anticipated Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) elections draw new, the union has released regulations to govern the process.
The elections are slated to kick off on January 16, 2020, with Kisii and Migori opening the ground.
The regulations are compiled and borrowed from the national laws which govern Trade Union Elections and the union’s registered constitution that stipulates the process of the entire election.
The set regulations upon release were signed and endorsed by the union’s Secretary-General Akelo Misori on 7th January 2021 and further distributed to all its branch officials.
“As provided in law, the Labour Officers will take full charge of the election process, with the union’s responsibility being limited to providing logistics and observation,” reads regulations signed by the union’s Secretary-General.
According to the released regulations, members will not be allowed in the stations after voting to allow the voting process to be completed in time and to allow the polling stations to close at 5:00 p.m. to pave way for the counting process.
“Members are advised to leave the station immediately after voting. No backward movement of voters will be allowed at the station. This will allow the process to be completed in time for polling stations to close at 5.00 pm,” read the regulations.
Those members who will still be in the queue after 5:00 p.m will be allowed to vote but no new members will be allowed at the stations, though during the counting and tallying process, only the candidates, their designated agents and accredited observers will be allowed into the counting hall.
Members will be identified using their TSC Numbers and Identification Cards for secondary school teachers while those trainers in TVET institutions will be identified with their Numbers from the Public Service Commission (PSC) and only teachers and trainers whose names appear in the Register will be issued with one ballot paper in respect of all the 10 positions being contested, upon which their names will be crossed from the Register, thereafter proceeding to the designated booths or tables, mark their ballots and cast them in the ballot boxes.
However, all members including election managers and observers will be required to observe all the laid down protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the union advises that the election be conducted in an open space. Measures should be taken to protect ballot boxes and other materials under the shade and away from rainfall. The Returning Officers will ensure that the positioning of candidate agents and observers does not breach Covid-19 protocols,” state the regulations.
Besides, the regulations have accorded each candidate a right to inspect voting materials including the Venue of Elections, the Register, Ballot Papers and Ballot Boxes, before the start of voting, with contestants being encouraged to hold a joint meeting with Returning Officers from the Labour Officers between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m on a material day.
