IEBC should clean register and ensure credible polls

A clean voters’ register is a critical part of free, fair and credible elections. This is what guarantees public confidence in polls, which in Kenya, are traditionally hotly contested at all levels, not just the presidency. As such, it is vital for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure the voters’ register is cleaned up before August even though the timelines set in law have been breached. The best place to start would be to liaise with the Registrar of Births and Deaths to delete dead voters from the list.

Secondly, it is important for the commission to give regular public updates about its preparedness as the country nears elections. Whereas it is crucial to share this information with public entities like Parliament when they demand it, IEBC can be more proactive in communicating material information with citizens to ensure all stakeholders understand the challenges and opportunities the commission faces.

Thirdly, the agency will raise its standing in the public eye by embracing integrity in its operations. When its officers are found guilty of serious offences like graft, it raises doubts about the integrity of its other processes, including the conduct of election and integrity of votes. This is an onerous responsibility to ask of IEBC, but it is critical to its success in delivering an election that inspires confidence.

It is encouraging that the commission has entered the home-stretch in its quest to pick a chief executive officer/secretary. This has been long in coming and has affected the operations of the institution given that the CEO is also the accounting officer. The public expects that the person eventually picked for this vital role is a man or woman of integrity and one who will ensure the commission remains as an independent and cohesive unit, not one that is amenable to the demands of politicians and other interested parties.

Finally, IEBC should move with speed to conclude pending disputes that have delayed its procurement of election materials. This is the only way to ensure that voter identification kits are sufficient ahead of elections and that ballot papers are printed in good time to ensure no one is disenfranchised.

To do all these, it will need public and government support. Its leadership should not feel shy to ask for help whenever needed. And this it ought to keep its communication lines open.