IEBC to deploy manual registers as Chebukati confirms 5 officers suspended over voter transfer

Addressing the press on Friday, IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati said in compliance with the court order, the commission would deploy manual registers to the polling stations countrywide ahead of the elections next week.

“We shall now deploy the printed register of voters at the polling stations where the names of the voters shall be crossed out after identification of voters using the KIEMs Kit,” said Chebukati.

“The commission commits to adhere to the rule of law and will facilitate the realisation of political rights of Kenyans as is capitulated in Article 38 of the constitution in order to deliver a free, fair and credible election.”

Chebukati explained that the manual register in question is the digital printout and would be availed at the polling station for use alongside biometrics and both as a complementary mechanism.

“Manual register has all the details, the photo, ID number…full details of the voter excluding the biometrics. It has all the details as per the KIEMs Kit and will be used as per the judgement of the Court of Appeal and the High Court,” he remarked.

“It has two levels of usage; it will be crossed out at the same time with verification by the biometrics and also as complementary if the KIEMS Kit fails.”

Despite acknowledging the risks associated with the printed register that the commission had earlier raised, Chebukati said the commission was committed to abiding by the constitution and honouring the court directive.

“The commission must follow the laws of the land. We don’t make our own law, in fact, part of the reforms we sent to the parliament was around the amendment of these provisions in terms of the printed register but they didn’t see the end of the day,” the IEBC boss noted.

At the same time, in regard to the KPMG report involving the transfer of voters, Chebukati said the electoral body had already forwarded the case to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and a probe was underway.

He further divulged that the officers involved had since been suspended from duty.

In the ruling on Thursday, High Court Judge Mugure Thande revoked IEBC's decision not to use a manual register directing that all necessary steps be followed to ensure that the petitioner's and citizens’ rights under the constitution are respected and no eligible citizen would be denied the right to vote.