Voters petition IEBC to remove them from poll register
A woman celebrates after her name was found in the electronic voters’ register on August 8, 2017. Some Kenyans have petitioned IEBC to remove their names from the voters' roll. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Some of those who have signed it insist the just-concluded elections were conducted fraudulently.
- Atheism activist Harrison Mumia said that the petition will be available for signing for the rest of August.
- Some attributed the violence as their reason to have their names removed from the electoral body’s register.
More than 250 Kenyans have signed an online petition seeking to have their names removed from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voter register.
The petition that was put up shortly after the declaration of the presidential elections results targets 100,000 voters but has so far 251 signatures.
SIGNED
Seen as another protest to the disputed polls, some of those who have signed it insist the just-concluded elections were conducted fraudulently.
“Elections conducted in Kenya are not a true reflection of what Kenyans aspire,” Anthony Onyango said.
Another Kenyan, Moses Njeru, said, “I would like to join the movement [for] getting our names from IEBC (voters’ list). I took six hours voting and that seemed not to work.”
Atheism activist Harrison Mumia said that the petition will be available for signing for the rest of August and the signatures will then be handed to the IEBC.
“We are persuaded that many Kenyans have lost trust in the IEBC and have a right to have their names expunged from the [voters’] register,” said Mr Mumia.
FAIR
He protested that the election was not free and fair and demanded that the process be audited by an independent body.
“It is our position that the events before, during and after the elections did not lend themselves to the conduct of a free, fair, credible and transparent elections. We therefor demand for an audit of the entire process by an independent auditor,” he said.
Many have also condemned the violence that has been witnessed in parts of the country as they urged police to have restraint when dealing with women and children.
Some attributed the violence as their reason to have their names removed from the electoral body’s register.
“I don’t want to cast a vote that will kill 8-year-olds,” Duke Ojwang wrote.
7 DAYS
According to Kenyan law, petitions can be presented to the National Assembly or Senate.
They should be addressed to the clerk of the relevant House, who is expected to review it within seven days of receiving it.
The clerk, based on review, can suggest amendments if the petition is not properly crafted.
Once satisfied, it is then forwarded to the speaker of the relevant House for tabling.
The clerk will within 15 days of the decision of the House notify the petitioner of the decision of either Parliament or Senate in writing.
