The Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) managed to register 3,782,089 people as new voters in the just concluded Mass Voter Registration Exercise.

The figure represents 62 percent of the IEBC’s 6.1 million target during the month long exercise which ended on Sunday, February 19, following a petition for its extension filed at the courts by activist Okiya Omtata.

The exercise had earlier been scheduled to end on February 14.

Voter transfers

While releasing the results of the mass voter registration exercise on Tuesday, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the commission received 1,001,819 applicants for voters who wished to transfer their voting centres.

Chebukati indicated that Kiambu, Nakuru, Meru, Mombasa, Kilifi, Machakos, Kakamega counties topped in new voter listing numbers.

Kajiado led in new applications followed by Mandera, Narok, Garissa, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Wajir, Murang'a, Nakuru and West Pokot counties.

Voter timelines

The IEBC Chair said the voter register will be closed on March 7 for the clean-up exercise to be conducted.

The data will then be processed to remove duplication and a register compiled over the next 40 days and be ready for inspection from May 10.

The commission confirmed that it had already commenced registration of voters in Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa which will end on March 6.

Voter registration in 118 prisons across the country will commence on Wednesday, February 22.

The prisoners will only be allowed to vote for the presidential ballot and not any other.

The IEBC at the same time declared that all political parties are to submit party nomination rules by March 6.

They are then to submit their list of members from March 9 to March 19 and the list of candidates in party primaries to be submitted from March 26 to April 5.

The Gazettement of the candidates will then be done between March 30 and April 12.

Chebukati assured Kenyans there was no need to panic and the commission was well within its timelines.