This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
On the eve of the Kibra by-election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has clarified its position on voter verification, sparking a heated debate with the opposition party, ODM.
According to the IEBC, voter verification can only be done by individuals, not political parties, as the commission seeks to protect the privacy of Kenyan citizens.
Lawyers for the IEBC, Edwin Mukele and Mahat Somane, argued that the information provided by the commission is sufficient for verification, citing personal identification marks such as phone numbers and ID numbers that are unique to every voter.
However, ODM accused the IEBC of withholding crucial information, claiming that the redacted identification numbers in the voter register released for verification until end of Wednesday were essential for verification.
Justice James Makau, presiding over the case, questioned the nature of information being termed as crucial, to which ODM replied that they had not requested any personal information from the IEBC.
The court will rule on the matter on Wednesday, with the IEBC seeking clarity on the balance between the right to privacy and the right of political parties to participate in the electoral process.
