Naivas and Quickmart Supermarkets to Close All Outlets Countrywide on Election Day

Naivas and Quickmart supermarkets have announced they will close all their branches across the country on Election Day.

The two leading retailers said the closure is meant to allow their employees and partners to exercise their democratic right of voting on August 9th.

Both Quickmart and Naivas advised their customers to carry out prior shopping to avoid inconveniences during the stores’ closure, adding that full-scale operations will resume on August 10th. The two retail chains have a combined branch count of more than 120 stores across the country.

Naivas said its e-commerce platform will allow for goods orders but no deliveries will be made on August 9th.

Election Day is traditionally gazetted as a holiday in Kenya, meaning that other key businesses including banking halls will also be shut for the day.

Voters will elect the president, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county governors, and members of the 47 county assemblies of Kenya. 

This will be the third general election after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya.

Only four candidates were cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to run for president in this year’s elections, the smallest number of candidates since the 1990s.

They are Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition, William Ruto (Kenya Kwanza), David Mwaure Waihiga (Agano Party), and George Wajackoyah (Roots Party).