CORD raises concern over recent developments in voters registration

CORD leader Raila Odinga. (Photo Courtesy)

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has shown concern with the emerging and growing cases of shared identity cards used by different people to register as voters.

Twice this week, CORD leader Raila Odinga established that he shared his Identity Card number 4838593 with Ms Ombai Maria Anyango who had been registered using a similar ID number in the same polling station.

Earlier this week, CORD Co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka also discovered that he shared his ID number with another voter who had been registered with similar details.

Raila Odinga said these developments are shocking as they point to criminal negligence, incompetence and failure by some players in the National Registration Bureau and the Ministry of Interior.

As a party they demand from the ministry a clear explanation for these occurrences and a categorical statement from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Raila is also calling for a thorough audit and cleaning of the voter register which should be done before elections.

The opposition has placed demands that the national identity cards be issued to applicants within three days of application as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Furthermore the records of the new cards be published on a weekly basis to enable the public to track the issuance and ensure no region gains unfair advantage by virtue of perceived political affiliation.

Raila has come out and blamed Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery for allegedly threatening chiefs warning them against working with the Opposition to facilitate voter registration. An order he termed as primitive and misadvised as it goes against the principle that public servants, paid by tax payers, ought to serve the public without fear or favour.

“The Jubilee administration needs to be reminded that it has a duty to build confidence in the process leading to the elections and the institution that will be running the elections. This it can only be done by ensuring that the institutions are enabled to act impartially, efficiently, and to operate in accordance with the law. The failure to issue ID cards to those who deserve them and the threat by Mr. Nkaissery only undermine the process and the institutions and it looks deliberate,” said Raila Odinga in a press statement.