The Migwani ward by-election process has been paused for 30 days under interim orders issued by the High Court in Kitui, according to an IEBC notice published on October 27.
The commission says Justice Riechi made the order on October 22 in a petition challenging the declaration of a vacancy in the Mwingi West ward. The pause covers electoral steps including candidate clearance and voter registration.
IEBC identifies the case as Kitui HCCHREP E011 of 2026, filed by Francis Musili Kauta, and says it is scheduled for hearing on November 11.
The notice distinguishes two issues. It says the High Court accepted jurisdiction over the validity of the vacancy declaration, but said a dispute about the former MCA’s appointment as county assembly clerk belongs in the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
The order is interim. It does not, on the evidence available here, finally resolve the vacancy dispute, restore anyone to office or permanently cancel an election.
Candidates and voters should follow further court directions and IEBC’s formal notices. The next hearing, rather than political claims about who has won the dispute, will determine the immediate course of the case.
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WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- The commission says candidate clearance and voter registration are covered by the interim order.
- See the linked source records for the reported decision and its limits.
