IEBC rules out waiting cards for voter listing

But the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) told Parliament that the changes to electoral law are in conflict with the Constitution.

The Constitution demands that one can only register as a voter if he is an adult citizen and has proof of adulthood in the national identity card or a Kenyan passport.

“The amendments to the Election Act is unconstitutional and we have made recommendations to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee that it be deleted,” said Lilian Mahiri-Zaja, the IEBC deputy chairperson.

She told the National Assembly Committee on House Resolutions that using the waiting cards to register voters created room for identity theft because of the absence of security features such as a photo of the applicant.

Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda said the IEBC was only finding excuses to deny Kenyans what is rightfully due to them.

“The requirements of voting are completely distinct from requirements of registration and in my view I see no contradiction,” he said.

The mass voter registration is seen as one of the main battlegrounds for Kenya’s leading presidential contenders as they rally their supporters to list for the process.

Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi who brought the motion insisted that the mere possession of a waiting card was indication that thorough vetting had been done on the applicant.