Members of Parliament have rejected a proposal that seeks to impose restrictions on voters who wish to change their polling stations.
The National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) has said the proposed changes are out of touch with reality and go against the commission.
JLAC vice-chairperson Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ said the amendment needs to be withdrawn since it limits the rights of citizens.
“You have identified the problem, but you don’t know how to deal with it. It seems you didn’t do your homework well. If the objective of the proposal was to cure voter importation, then it should be done in a manner that does not limit the rights of the voters,” he said.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) proposed that those seeking to transfer their vote will be required to prove that they are employed, own a business, possess land or a residential building, for at least six months in the constituency they intend to move to.
Mandera West MP Adan Yussuf said the current provision should be retained, whereby one needs to notify the commission, fill in a form and is allowed to move.
IEBC Director of Legal Affairs Chrispine Owiye said they considered many options in their bid to cure the problem of mass voter movement.
He said Article 24 of the Constitution provides instances when the rights of citizens can be limited.
“We believe the proposal does not unreasonably limit the rights of voters,” he said.
In last February mass voter registration, IEBC approved 130,320 requests to transfer polling stations.