- What BBC has Found out About President Ruto - November 23, 2024
- X Introduces M-Pesa Payment Feature - November 22, 2024
- Matiang’i Ordered to Appear in Court - November 22, 2024
Thursday, August 4, 2022 –Finally, Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition has had their say and way over the type of register to be used in the forthcoming general elections.
Azimio leader, Raila Odinga, who has been on the forefront pressuring the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC to address the standoff today got a reprieve after the High Court ordered the electoral body to also make use of the manual register in the August 9 election.
Delivering the ruling today in Nairobi, Justice Mugure Thande dealt a blow on the IEBC’s stand that they will only be using the electronic mode of voter identification.
Thande noted that the electronic voter register cannot be efficient because it could deny so many wiling voters a chance to also participate in picking their preferred choices on the ballot especially when a technical hitch happens.
“IEBC’s decision not to use the printed voter register, there is a real risk of disenfranchising eligible voters. This court must therefore step in through its supervisory jurisdiction to ensure that the commission though independent operates subject to the law,” Thande said.
The Wafula Chebukati-led commission had earlier responded to the the Azimio leadership telling them that only digital register will be considered unless an extra ordinary circumstance occurs.
This was after Mr. Odinga, during a rally held in Mt Kenya, asserted that they will take nothing less than the manual register.
He said the manual register was a must have in the exercise or no election will be allowed to take place in the country.
His sentiments were, however, met with a heavy resistance from the William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza brigade which told off the opposition leader for lecturing the electoral body which is Constitutionally supposed to be independent.
