NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9- The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has assured that the Updated Kibra Voters Register will be ready before the by-election which is slated for November 7.
In a statement, the commission’s Chairman Wafula Chebukati said the register had been dispatched to the Returning Officer for a seven-day inspection and verification.
He spoke on Wednesday during a meeting with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders who have been demanding the register.
“In response to the two letters of 20th September 2019 and 30th September 2019 (from ODM) the IEBC acting CEO wrote to ODM advising them to pay the required fees of Sh 15,000 which ODM paid. The Commission has from today posted the changes to the Kibra register of voters detailed above in the Constituency Returning Officer’s office for seven days inspection and verification,” Chebukati stated.
Chebukati assured all the political parties participating in the mini poll that necessary changes were made to the register used in 2017 following concerns from some of the leaders.
“As the updated register is undergoing the inspection and certification process, the commission wishes to underscore that the 2017 General Election Register for Kibra is readily available for sharing,” Chebukati added.
“Thereafter, the register will be certified and be readily available for sharing with Political Parties including ODM and any other interested party,” he said.
On Tuesday ODM leaders led by the party’s Director of Elections Junet Mohamed and Chairman John Mbadi accused IEBC of being mischievous for failing to respond to their letters requesting for the Kibra voter register and threatened to match to their offices on Wednesday.
“The Elections Act (2015) obligates the commission to make the register of voters available at all times for inspection. The same law pre-supposes the creation of a public web portal to enable members of the public to inspect the register. We have written several letters to the IEBC requesting for the updated register but no response,” Junet said.
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