New system to catch cheats at the ballot

The process of eliminating ghost voters started on Monday with the introduction of the new electronic voter registration system.

Voters in 18 constituencies will pioneer the system, which the Interim Independent Electoral Commission said would be tamper-proof.

Unlike the current elector’s card, the electronically generated one captures a voter’s face and thumb print, using digital cameras and a thumb print reader.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was one of the first leaders to register using the system, described the e-voter system as “revolutionary”.

But the launch in some constituencies was characterised by delays because of the late arrival of material.

The constituencies in which voters will be registered electronically include Kamukunji, Lang’ata, Mvita, Malindi, Dujis, Laisamis, Isiolo South, Central Imenti, Machakos Town and Nyeri Town.

Others are Kikuyu, Eldoret North, Nakuru Town, Ainamoi, Ikolomani, Webuye, Kisumu Town West and Kitutu Chache.

Mr Odinga said the development would prevent a repeat of the disputed 2007 presidential elections, which led to bloodshed.

“The coming of electronic voter system to our country is, therefore, nothing less than a revolution,” he told a crowd at the Kibera DO’s office.

IIEC chairman Issack Hassan described the development as a “national milestone” in reforming the country’s discredited electoral system.

Electronic registration will eliminate cases of cheating and double registration, Mr Hassan said.

“This system uniquely identifies an individual and therefore blocks cases of impersonation.”

Mr Hassan, who described the new system as fast and cheap, said the move was an effort to implement recommendations by the Kriegler Commission, which investigated the disputed 2007 General Election.

Under the pilot project, voters’ personal information including fingerprints, eye features and a photograph, will be taken and stored in a central database.

The voter’s photograph will also be on the card.

During elections, polling clerks will be compelled to countercheck a voter against the photograph appearing on their card.

And if the technology fails, the commission says, the process will produce a manual register to be used in elections.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo, who attended the launch, asked the government to allocate the commission Sh415 million to enable it to expand the electronic voter registration system to the rest of the country.

The minister described Kenya’s electoral system as “rudimentary”.

“The old system is expensive, inaccurate and highly susceptible to human error,” he said.

Mr Odinga said the 2007 poll exposed the worst side of Kenya’s electoral system. Some voters walked to polling stations but found their names missing or deleted.

Nairobi PC Njoroge Ndirangu spoke of apathy in voter registration.

He said out of about 1.7 million voters in Nairobi, only 300,000 had registered.

Logistical problems

In Nyeri Town, leaders appealed to the public to register in high numbers. But e-voter registration did not start on time at some centres due to logistical problems.

Constituency elections coordinator Ndirangu Maina said the delays were caused by the sorting of the equipment and moving them to centres.

In Webuye constituency, Western Province, MP Alfred Sambu and nominated MP Musikari Kombo registered around 9am and asked the public to come out in large numbers so that they can take part in the referendum for a new constitution.

There were protests at Wabukhonyi Primary School registration centre, where people had been camping since 6am awaiting the arrival of registration materials.

The electronic voter registration system in Kisumu West constituency was delayed because late arrival of the machines, breakdowns and large voter turnout overwhelmed the clerks posted to polling stations.

However, Mr George Oyugi, the Nyanza regional coordinator, said officials were using electricity in places where the solar panel had failed.

Reported by Emeka-Mayaka Gekara, Oliver Mathenge, Muchiri Gitonga, Erick Ngobilo and Abiud Ochieng’