Gladwell Otieno at the launch of an election preparedness report/JEREMIAH WAKAYA
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 21 – AfriCOG case seeking to compel the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to open up the voters register for public scrutiny will be heard from next Tuesday.
Judge George Odunga fixed the hearing date after IEBC and the Jubilee Party which have been enjoined as interested parties sought to be given time to respond to issues raised in the petition.
Activist Gladwell Otieno wants the polls body directed to gazette the final register per polling station ahead of the General Election.
Also sought are orders stopping the electoral agency from distributing the voters register to Returning Officers pending determination of the suit.
Otieno is asking the court to grant the orders over claims that there are inconsistencies in the voters register in certain regions.
Otieno says Under the Elections Act, the Commission is required to open up the register 90 days to the election date.
In addition, the NGO’s founder wants the electoral body prohibited from deploying the voters register for use in the General Election before it is subjected to public inspection.
She argues that inspection of the register will enable her to scrutinise and ascertain the actual registered voters.
AfriCOG has faulted IEBC for failing to publish the voters register and in so doing posing a threat to the exercise of the right to free, fair and democratic elections.
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