Kenya’s independent Elections Observation Group (ELOG) is calling for a thorough audit of the voter register ahead of the 2027 general election.
The group, which has been monitoring electoral processes since 2010, has expressed concerns over persistent errors and anomalies in the registration, compilation, updating, auditing, cleaning, and certification of the voter roll.
In light of the integrity concerns, which ELOG deems valid, the group now wants the new IEBC to be in place by April to immediately conduct a voter list assessment to address the issue, including the creation of a new voter register.
ELOG also proposes a process that incorporates robust public participation and stakeholder engagement to ensure transparency and inclusivity.
“The current concerns over the integrity of the Register of Voters are valid and therefore there is a need to address the issue as part of the preparations for the 2027 elections”, ELOG chairperson Victor Nyongesa avers.
“We, in agreement with one of the proposals given through the NADCO report that once the new commission is constituted, it must within the shortest time possible assess the veracity of the current register with a view to either undertaking a thorough clean up exercise or a total overhaul of the same by creating a new register in time for 2027,” he adds.
Nyongesa went on to cite inconsistencies that it discovered in its audits, adding that their efforts to review deceased voters in the 2017 poll were frustrated by the lack of an official list from the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
“ For instance, in 2012, we found the register to have errors on 143,530 records while in 2017, the audit revealed 169,646 duplicate records. It is important to indicate that all these errors were found on the register after the elections had been conducted and further after a professional audit (2017) and cleaning done by the commission before the respective elections”, it said
“Indeed, KPMG, the professional audit firm that was contracted by IEBC in 2017 expressed concerns that there could have been as many as 1,037,260 deceased persons in the same register”, he stated.
While part of the problem with deceased voters has been addressed through the use of the KIEMS kits, which facilitate biometric registration and identification of voters, ELOG highlights cases which necessitated the use of manual identification methods.
“It is indicative from the above that the issue of updating the voter register, especially in regard to the removal of deceased voters, has been problematic”, ELOG, which was not able to conduct another independent audit of the 2022 elections despite a formal request to IEBC, points out.
“ Despite not auditing the 2022 RoV, ELOG observed that there were concerns about the transfer of voters, cleaning and certification of the final register that were not properly addressed by the IEBC”, the chair says.
As such, the observation group is requesting access to the Register of Voters to undertake an independent audit and verification.
IEBC INTERVIEWS
The selection panel for the recruitment of nominees for the chairperson of the commission has already released the names of shortlisted candidates alongside the scheduled interview dates.
The oral interviews will take place next week from Monday, March 24, 2025, to Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at the College of Insurance in South C, Nairobi.
The first batch of candidates who will appear before the panel on Monday, March 24, 2025, will include Abdulqadir Lorot Ramadhan (Baringo), Anne Atieno Amadi (Homa Bay), Charles Ayako Nyachae (Kisii), and Edward Katama Ngeywa (Trans Nzoia). Their sessions are scheduled between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.
The second batch will be interviewed on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and consists of Erastus Etung Ekirapa (Turkana), Francis Kaaki Kissinger (Vihiga), Jacob Ngwele Muvengei (Kitui), and Joy Brenda Masinde-Mdivo (Nairobi). Their interviews will commence at 8:30 am and conclude by 4:30 pm.
On the final day, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, Lillian Wanjiku Manegene (Kirinyaga), Robert Akumu Asembo (Busia), and Saul Simiyu Wasilwa (Bungoma) will take their turn before the selection panel.
At the same time, interviews for the six vacant positions of IEBC commissioners will commence on Thursday, March 27, 2025, and run until Thursday, April 24, 2025.
