IEBC alarmed by huge voter transfers

Mr Lukaman Nassir of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission registers voter Mr Charles Odhiambo. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The commission indicated that less than 300,000 voters have registered so far.

  • The target was to register four million by the end of the campaign on March 15.

  • The concern over transfers is affecting all the 17 electoral regions in the country and in some areas it is suspected that clan politics could be in play.

  • In northern Kenya, especially Wajir County, politicians are said to be mobilising people from neighbouring countries to register in the area.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has raised concerns over increased voter transfers in the on-going countrywide voter registration.

In an interview with the Nation on Wednesday,  Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba also said the commission was worried by the low voter registration rates since the campaign started on Monday last week.

Mr Chiloba said 40 per cent of those turning out at various registration centres around the country are applying to transfer their polling centres.

“We are concerned that we are encountering substantial numbers of individuals seeking to transfer from their current centres to new ones compared to those coming to register afresh,” said Mr Chiloba.

The commission indicated that less than 300,000 voters have registered so far. The target was four million by the end of the campaign on March 15.

CLAN POLITICS

The concern over transfers is affecting all the 17 electoral regions in the country and in some areas it is suspected that clan politics could be in play.

The move has raised speculation that some politicians are behind the increased voter importation, said to be rampant in Nairobi. Yesterday  the commission’s vice chairperson, Ms Lilian Mahiri-Zaja, warned politicians against voter importation.

Speaking at a media consultative forum in Kisumu yesterday, Ms Mahiri-Zaja also warned politicians against luring voters with promises of bursaries and kickbacks so that they could transfer to new polling stations.

Commissioner Albert Bwire, who also addressed the forum, said the 5,756  biometric voter registration  kits were sufficient to handle 50 per cent of the  at least 8.3 million new voters targeted before the 2017 elections.

In northern Kenya, especially Wajir County, politicians are said to be mobilising people from neighbouring countries to register in the area.

The Nairobi transfers are said to be involving politicians from Kiambu County in what is seen as a pre-election plan to win the city governor’s seat.

Mathare, Embakasi and Lang’ata constituencies are also affected by large requests for transfers.

CITY GOVERNOR'S SEAT

“Many of those transferring want to register in Mathare and majority of them appear to be moving from constituencies in Embakasi,” said IEBC’s Nairobi regional coordinator, Ms Ruth Kulundu.

Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru, and former Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru are among top candidates interested in the race against incumbent Evans Kidero.

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko is also said to be interested in the seat on a Jubilee ticket as is Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu.

Nyanza is said to have recorded about 57,000 from its two regions, with Homa Bay County alone registering 13,900 of the 94,134 new voters so far, while Nairobi region, which includes Kajiado County, has listed 38,178 out of the expected 580,000.

In the Coastal region where about 690,000 people are expected to register only about 16,000 have done so far.