Kisumu patient driven out of hospital to vote, fails to find name on IEBC register

Edwin Were a patient at Jaramogi Teaching and Referral Hospital who was taken to vote by medics at the facility express his frustrations after he failed to find his details in the IEBC's register at Kisumu Central Primary. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Edwin Were, 46, was driven out of a hospital ward in an ambulance to vote at Kisumu Central Primary School only to find his name missing from the voters register.

IEBC officials turned him away after his voter identification done inside the ambulance failed to identify him as a voter. He was among 50 patients who had sought to be allowed to vote.

When The Standard caught up with him, the patient from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital sat pensively inside the ambulance which had dropped him to vote at Kisumu Central Primary School.

He showed us his voters' card and a national card with details that indicate his polling centre is at the school.

While being supported by medics, a frail Were said: "I am in pain, I registered here as a voter and now my details are missing".

Zachary Oketch a nursing officer who had accompanied the patient said Were couldn't vote and the team of medics could not wait any longer but return him to the hospital.

"We have enquired with the IEBC officials and there is no alternative they have given us," Oketch said.

He added: " He is very disappointed and anxious."

The hospital's CEO George Rae said that Were is among 50 patients who were driven to various polling centres to vote.

They include other 15 who do not have families or known relatives and are admitted to the hospital.

"We have registered voters who are unexpectedly hospitalised in the days and weeks before the elections and we are helping them cast votes," Rae said.

He appealed to IEBC to introduce a polling centre at the hospital in the next election.