Uncertainty Looms As Court Orders IEBC To Supply ODM With Kibra Voter Register Hours To Poll

The High Court has ordered the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to supply the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party with the Kibra constituency voter register with Identification (ID) numbers.

This is after ODM accused the commission of releasing an incomplete register ahead of the by-election slated for tomorrow, November 7. This, Edwin Sifuna, party secretary-general said made it difficult for voters to verify their details.

The electoral body challenged the Wednesday ruling by Justice James Makau saying it will take the commission seven days to supply ODM with the register arguing that election materials had already been taken to Kibra.

“If we are to print the register, then it will be a great challenge. We cannot contact Delarue in the next two hours,” the IEBC’s lawyer said.

Read: ODM Sues IEBC For Refusing To Release Complete Kibra Voter Register Three Days To Poll

However, justice Mutua declined to quash the order.

IEBC now has less than 24 hours to supply the party with the register before polls open on Thursday morning.

ODM had opposed IEB’s objection saying the process is an automated one and IEBC was being evasive.

“The arguments are evasive if you grant orders of stay you would basically have declared your judgement redundant,” ODM’s lawyer said.

The commission chairman, Wafula Chebukati, had opposed ODM’s request for a complete register arguing that IEBC truncated the details for privacy purposes as provided for in the constitution of the land.

Read Also: We’ll Not Be Intimidated, IEBC Rubbishes ODM’s Calls For “Complete” Kibra Voter Register

“…the Commission has put in place mechanisms to ensure confidentiality in management of the information provided in the Register of Voters and thus availing the Register of Voters cannot, therefore, avail full identification numbers and mobile numbers hence the truncation, ” Chebukati said in a statement.

The Kibra race has attracted several candidates, including ODM’s Imran Okoth, Jubilee’s McDonald Mariga Amani National Congress’ Eliud Owalo and Ford Kenya’s Eng. Khamisi Butichi.

The seat fell vacant following the demise Imran’s brother, Ken Okoth, who succumbed to colorectal cancer in July.