Electoral team works so Kenyans living abroad can vote next year

The electoral commission is drawing up legislation to enable an estimated three million Kenyans living abroad to vote in the 2012 General Election.

Acting Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chief Executive Officer James Oswago confirmed that the commission was developing guidelines on how these Kenyans living abroad will participate in the 2012 polls.

Among other things, the proposed legislation will determine whether they would vote only for president or would also vote for governors, senators, MPs and ward representatives.

“The Constitution talks about the progressive registration of Kenyans living abroad as voters and the progressive realisation of their right to vote. What this means is that we will have to start from somewhere. We are working on legislation to determine whether they will have to travel to Kenya to vote or if they will vote from wherever they are,” Mr Oswago said.

Outside the country

“The legislation will also determine ... how many years one will have had to live outside the country to qualify to vote. So what is clear is that not all Kenyans living abroad will be able to vote in the next elections,” he said.

The IEBC is also expected to conduct a voter registration exercise that will include Kenyans living abroad.

Speaking when the former Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) was handing over its exit report to the IEBC last week, elections boss Ahmed Isaack Hassan said the new electoral body’s priority is to register eight million new voters and create 80 new constituencies.

This is the clearest indication that the more than three million Kenyans living abroad will be able to vote in the 2012 elections.

The anticipated move has jolted some presidential aspirants into action, with some already setting up secretariats to map out ways to market their policies to this voting bloc.

Three of the presidential aspirants, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Planning assistant minister Peter Kenneth, have spent the better part of last month meeting with and pushing their platforms to Kenyans living abroad.

Mr Odinga and Mr Kenneth have established a diaspora desk in their secretariats fully dedicated to listening to and addressing the concerns of Kenyans living abroad.

Mr Musyoka was in the UK last month where he opened a PNU office in London to coordinate the party’s connections with Kenyans living in Europe.

Speaking to Kenyans gathered at the Krystel Hall, Hillford, East London, the VP announced he would be seeking the presidential nomination from PNU’s affiliate parties.

Official visit