Pressure is mounting for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to clarify a directive requiring Kenyans who registered before 2012 to register afresh.
The directive has sparked criticism across the board amid queries on the integrity of the voter register.
This comes as the commission’s 30-day Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise enters week two which runs until April 28th with calls for civic education to safeguard public confidence in the process and increase the number of new registered voters.
Registration centres have been set up across the country, including at constituency offices, Huduma Centres, universities and colleges, as well as the IEBC Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi. But even as the commission moves to clean up its voter register, a directive for voters who registered 2012 to register afresh has sparked controversy.
The commission in its defense say prior to 2012 the system was manual and did not capture biometrics such as fingerprints and photographs, which are critical in maintaining an accurate and credible voter register.
The commission also says voter registration has been halted in electoral areas where by-elections and election petitions are ongoing including; Porro Ward, Endo Ward, Emurua Dikirr Constituency, Ol Kalou Constituency, Malava and Mbeere North.
With only weeks remaining before the close of the enhanced voter registration exercise, attention is shifting to how the electoral body will address emerging concerns to ensure a credible, transparent and inclusive voter register ahead of the 2027 General Election.
