IEBC’s internal systems breached in illegal voter transfer

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has vowed to take stern action against its officers who are involved in manipulating its electronic voter register.

This is after the electoral agency discovered an illegal transfer of voters in its system.

An analysis revealed that some voters were allowed to transfer their voting stations without following the prescribed procedure.

An internal memo dated Wednesday, May 25, from the commission’s Chief Executive Officer CEO, Marjan Hussein, to county elections managers and senior election officers, revealed the concerns in its preliminary review of the register, which found that some transfer of votes without proper statutory forms.

During the two stages of the improved continuous voter registration in October 2021 and January this year, a total of 800,000 registered voters applied to modify their polling centre.

As of yesterday, the number of those who were transferred without following the procedure was unclear and so were the regions where the problem was manifest to create a pattern that would warrant the intervention of the commission.

Wafula Chebukati, the chairman IEBC, stated that anyone who has been transferred without their knowledge will be returned to their voting station.

After May 4, all activity on the register was halted for verification.

“As a commission, we do not condone such as it is against the rights of Kenyans under Article 38 of the constitution to be registered to vote in a place of their choice,” Chebukati said on Monday.

Chebukati insisted that the commission was well prepared for the election and that the voter transfer issue will be addressed.

“In the course of the voter register verification exercise, the IEBC has received complaints regarding movements of voters of different polling centres/stations. The IEBC is validating all the transfers effected with the duly filled transfer forms with a view of taking corrective action,” he said in a statement.

Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany directed the officials to reverse cases of transfers without properly submitted forms, according to an internal memo dated May 25 to the 47 county Elections managers and senior officers.

“This is to direct you to reverse all transfers that are not backed up by any evidence, including the application form and a copy of your identification certificate,” Keitany said.

“This should be completed within the next 24 hours, and the results should be reported as soon as possible.”

He said the commission will produce a final register after the audit verification, which would be certified and then gazetted on or before June 9.

Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KMPG) is auditing the register, which comprises 22.2 million voters, leaving the commission with only eight days to gazette it as necessary.

The commission has been beset by controversy over how it handled the process, with stakeholders alleging that Chebukati is operating the agency without including them in important decisions.

The commission is required by law to publish its final register in the Kenya Gazette 60 days before the election, which is scheduled for June 9.

Chebukati reportedly assuaged fears that 52,000 voting booths would be without a 3G network connection.

“Once the register of voters has been finalized, the commission will determine how many polling stations are outside the 3g network and publish the same, thereafter, all polling stations will be tested for the purpose of results transmission and satellite modems deployed in polling station without 3G network,” Chebukati said in a statement.