IEBC adheres to court order on manual register

IEBC adheres to court order on manual register

Chebukati says printed copies will be made available in all polling stations

In Summary

• The court has quashed the decision by IEBC not to use the manual register of voters to identify voters in August 9th polls
• The commission said it would issue a detailed statement following the judgement

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has agreed to use manual voter register at polling stations following a High Court order.

Addressing a media briefing at the Bomas of Kenya on Friday, IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati said printed copies will be made available in all polling stations across the country to compliment the electronic voter register.

“Informed by the 2017 elections, we saw the inherent risks associated with the use of printed register.  Where we are now, IEBC must comply with the High Court judgement on the use of manual register,” Chebukati said.

Manual voter register will be used when Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits fail.

The High Court on Wednesday directed the IEBC to provide a manual register during the August 9, 2022 General Election.

Justice Thande Mugure said the manual register will complement the electronic voter-identification register.

In his verdict Thande said the court found the decision by IEBC to be unconstitutional and ordered the manual register to be used too.

“The decision by IEBC via a letter dated June 10,2022, stating that the first respondent shall not use the manual voter register in the general election of Tuesday August 9, 2022, is unconstitutional and the said decision is hereby quashed,” court ruled.

Thande said reasons given by the commission that the printed version maybe manipulated is not enough since technology can also be manipulated.

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition Party had been pushing to have a manual register incorporated in Tuesday’s polls.

Earlier, commissioner Justus Nyang’aya said court judgements and orders were disrupting plans to hold the General Election.

“As far as court judgements and orders are concerned, they are rather disruptive. We were training staff on specific lines that we had agreed on but now we have to regroup and train them again,” he said.

Nyang’aya said it was not the way the commission was hoping things would go.

Nyang’aya further said court orders have caused delays in the arrival of some ballot papers in the country.

“All papers were supposed to be in the country on Wednesday but some will be arriving a day later,” he added.

He nonetheless pointed out that presidential ballot papers arrived in the country on Wednesday as planned.

“Court cases are making us a bit jittery. We now have to move with speed and make sure ballot papers get their respective destinations latest by Sunday,” he said.

He said papers that will arrived late will have to be transported by airplanes and helicopters.

Nyang’aya noted that 10 areas across the country have had court cases.

“We were forced to remove some names or add others. It was mostly for ward seats,” he explained.