On Wednesday March 4th, 2020, the Commission continued the path of showcasing its commitment to support local Communities by conducting student's council elections for Wango Christian Academy. The elections are part of the Commission's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative that will play a great role in Moving Kenya Towards a Stronger Democracy.

On Wednesday March 4th, 2020, the Commission continued the path of showcasing its commitment to support local Communities by conducting student's council elections for Wango Christian Academy. The elections are part of the Commission's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative that will play a great role in Moving Kenya Towards a Stronger Democracy.

The Wango Christian Academy is a private school founded in 2012 with a student population of 415. The School is domiciled in North Sakwa Ward, Bondo Constituency, Siaya County on the outskirts of Bondo Town about half a kilometer towards Bondo Technical Training Institute along Bondo-Owimbi Road. The school is managed by a six-member Board of Directors, 23 Trained Teachers and 11 non-teaching staff, the Head Teacher of the school is Mrs. Caroline Adera.

The School's Head Teacher learned that the Commission conducts student council elections as part of its CSR initiative during the 2020 Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF) held at Ramba Catholic Church in Siaya Town. At the event, the CEM-Madam Ruth Kulundu encouraged schools to call on IEBC to conduct their elections so that students can learn about the intricacies of elections in Kenya and benefit from voter education offered by IEBC officers. She also urged Secondary Schools, Tertiary Colleges and Universities to invite the Commission to register students who had attained the age of 18 at the comfort of their schools as a way to incentives them to participate in the electoral process.

The IEBC Office in Bondo Constituency undertook the following activities pre, during and post the elections. These were:

1. Held a planning meeting with the school leadership to know the positions being contested and also set out the requirements and activity modalities;
2. Delivering and showcasing sample ballot box, ballot paper and presiding officers tallying sheet while conducting voter education sessions in classrooms;
3. Educating the whole school on the Elections Code of Conduct and the consequences of subverting the rules/ guidelines stipulated in the laws;
4. Held a meeting with all class teachers to induct them on how to prepare a polling room, assisting voters with disabilities, using the designated polling station tallying sheet to record and tally votes and also how to present the election results to the returning officer;
5. IEBC officials oversaw the conduct of campaigns by the candidates to ensure adherence to the Code of Conduct and provide equal airtime;
6. Designing and printing of the ballot papers and returning officers tallying sheet;
7. Logistical support in terms of getting the necessary polling materials from the IEBC's warehouse for support in the elections;
8. Held a meeting with students selected from each class to assist with the conduct of elections i.e polling officials to brief them about polling station setup, issuance of polling materials and results management.

The elections had 23 contested position that included: The School President, Deputy President, CS Games and Sports, CS Health and Sanitation, CS for I.C.T, CS Entertainment, CS Music and Drama, CS Debating Club, CS Scouting Club, CS Library, CS Girls Dormitory, Senator Upper Primary, Senator Lower Primary, Governor 2 Sharma, Governor 2 Shalom, Governor 3 Sharma, Governor 3 Shalom, Governor 4 Sharma, Governor 4 Shalom, Governor 5 Sharma, Governor 5 Shalom, Governor Class 6 and Governor Class 7.

The elections took place in a smooth manner with no incidents; the students voted, results were counted, tallied and announced and thereafter certificates awarded to the winners.

The School was grateful to the Commission for not only helping them conduct elections in their school but also educating the students, teachers and the administration on how elections are managed in Kenya.