The Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has revealed it has registered 12,123 new voters in the last six months, which translates to 67 people per day in the whole country – a sanctimonious joke!
The commission claims to be registering people in Huduma Centres in Nakuru and Kisii. In Nakuru, however, renowned Bahati local administrator, Chief Kariuki recently tweeted, urging his residents to go register at IEBC offices.
Currently, IEBC is undergoing far reaching staff reorganization after the 2013 bungled elections which has seen its critical staff taken to court over various offenses.
The opposition has recommended a total overhaul of the body, citing its performance in the previous polls which had several loopholes. While IEBC has denied all the opposition accusation maintaining it conducted free, fair and credible elections, the court cases and various investigative features by local media paints a different picture.
The new registrations only confirm the opaqueness of IEBC. The body undertakes its activities in secret and dish out figures only when under intense spotlight.
The body claims that Nyanza Counties have registered the ‘highest’ at 2, 629 new voters.
The commission does not however give any information on the polling stations that this registration is going on. In Rift Valley, the commission claims it has registered 2091 new voters, again without revealing which areas of the expansive Rift Valley.
The fresh registrations which kicked off on April 15 is also said to have got 1799 new voters in Ukambani and 1,246 in Central Kenya. Cost is said to have registered 1,880 with North Eastern registering 187 voters. Western has 1478 new voters while Upper Eastern has 655 new voters.
“Huduma centres are convenient for voter registration because that is where the public goes for documents such as ID cards and passports,†said a statement from the commission.
The use of Huduma Centers will likely create controversy as those who work in the centres are essentially executive government employees. Politically, the executive arm of the government are active protagonists in politics being members of, or, are controlled by the Jubilee Alliance.
In short, IEBC is playing dangerous games on the Kenyan populace. Its shadowy registration, in selected areas, points to the bigger problem of the commission – that of vagueness.
This body needs total overhaul. At best, a disbandment can do!