This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
ODM Sues IEBC Over Kibra Voters Register ¶
Published on November 5, 2019
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has dragged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to court over the alleged failure to release an updated voter register for Nairobi's Kibra constituency.
According to the ODM, the party wrote several letters to the IEBC on September 20, September 30, and October 2, requesting the updated register but did not receive any responses.
However, on October 3, the IEBC offered to supply the party's lawyers with a copy of the voters register upon payment of Sh 15,000, but the copy provided was outdated and truncated, used in the 2017 general election.
ODM alleges that the IEBC's refusal to release the updated register is a breach of the Elections Act, which was designed to ensure transparency, verifiability, and accountability of electoral processes.
"ODM is apprehensive that the said refusal is an outright breach of the law, is in bad faith and unless remedied forthwith, may facilitate fraud or other illegalities against the people of Kibra Constituency by denying persons with legitimate expectation to vote the right to do so," said lawyer Jackson Awele.
The by-election in Kibra constituency is scheduled for November 7, and ODM wants the IEBC compelled to release the updated voter register, including national identification or passport numbers, polling stations, and phone numbers.
