ODM says Kibra voter's roll missing details

ODM Deputy Party leader Wycliffe Oparanya, ODM leader Raila Odinga and party's candidate Imran Okoth, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed at ODM Rally campaign for Imran Okoth at Laini Saba grounds on October 27, 2019. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is disputing a register of voters provided by the electoral agency, just a week to the Kibra by-election.

Yesterday, the party issued a statement accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to release a detailed register in accordance with the law.

In the statement, ODM said the register provided lacked important particulars such as Identity Card details.

According to IEBC, 118,658 voters are registered in Kibra, a figure ODM has disputed.

Incomplete register

“On October 24, the Commission released an incomplete register, making the whole exercise a charade. A complete register must have the full name of a voter, his/her polling station and ID number," said ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

"The commission's register makes it difficult for voters to verify their registration particulars,” he added.

On October 12, a section of Kibra community leaders released a list of 19,200 people in the constituency whose names were allegedly removed from the register.

The leaders also claimed 10,040 alien names had been introduced in the voter register, and 3,812 people moved from their polling stations to others without their knowledge.

“The IEBC is yet to come clean on this. It needs to clarify the issue of people's names being deleted from the voter register, the transfer of voters from one polling station to another, and the addition of new voters in the voter register,” Sifuna said.

According to the Kibra Community leaders, 2,762 voters from other constituencies in Nairobi were moved to Kibra. They said up to 1,329 voters were moved from neighbouring Lang'ata to Kibra.

Other were said to have been moved from Kakamega (555), Kiambu (286), Kisumu (462), Siaya (447), Homa Bay (407), Vihiga (388), Kisii (249), Nakuru (219), Busia (213), Kajiado (205), Machakos (198), Mombasa (191), Migori (187), Bungoma (114), Kitui (99), Nyamira (99), Uasin Gishu (96), and Makueni (91).

ODM first raised a red flag last September 20, when the party’s Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen wrote to the commission demanding a copy of an updated register.

Sent reminder

Ten days later, ODM sent reminder: "Having formally requested the commission to supply us with a copy of the updated register, we have not seen any response. Kindly but urgently provide us with the register,” Sifuna wrote on September 30.

On October 3, IEBC acting Chief Executive Officer Marjan Husein Marjan asked ODM to pay Sh15,000 to facilitate the processing of the register.  

ODM responded through lawyer Otiende Amollo on October 17 threatening to mobilise supporters to protest at IEBC's headquarters if it will not be furnished with a register. "IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati dismissed the ODM's allegations. “This is propaganda based on rumours. The register is a public document, which we have already published,” he said. 

He said IEBC would issue a comprehensive statement on the matter.