IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati confirms manual register will be used in August elections

With just two days to the August General elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced a last-minute change, confirming that the manual voter register will be availed in polling stations across the country and used in the elections.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati confirmed that in compliance with the High Court requiring that the electoral body incorporates the manual registers into its operations, the process of distributing the manual registers is in progress.

“We shall now deploy the printed register of voters at the polling stations where the names of the voters shall be crossed out after identification of voters using the KIEMs Kit.

"The Commission commits to adhere to the rule of law and will facilitate the realization of political rights of Kenyans as is capitulated in Article 38 of the constitution in order to deliver a free, fair and credible election," Chebukati stated at a press conference on Friday, August 5.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati with Commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu Pulse Live Kenya

The electoral body explained that the manual register will be used alongside the biometrics, stating that it contains all the details of the voter ranging from the photo and ID number among other details.

“It has two levels of usage; it will be crossed out at the same time with verification by the biometrics and also as complementary if the KIEMS Kit fails," Chebukati explained.

The decision brings a protracted battle that found its way to court as a decision by IEBC to exclude the manual register was challenged in court.

READ: We will not shutdown the internet during elections - CS Mucheru

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya at one pointy threatened to give the exercise a wide berth should the commission decline to use the manual register.

Presenting his case in July, Azimio flag bearer, Raila Odinga noted that “With a manual register, it will be easy to tell how many people have voted in every polling station. In the electronic register, there is no record that remains. That is why we are saying that there must be a manual register at every polling station, it is not negotiable. We are telling the IEBC they must have a manual register along with the biometric identification of voters on that day; failure to which, there will be no election.”