IEBC warning on photos of marked ballot papers, offence attracts 6 years in prison

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned voters against breaching electoral rules by sharing photos of marked ballot papers.

The warning by IEBC comes after photos of marked ballot papers were shared across social media platforms prompting the commission to issue warning regarding the action.

By breaching of the law, one is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years or to both.

Several persons around the country have been arrested in connection to election related malpractises. Khamisi Butichi, the ANC party MP candidate for Ikolomani Constituency, Kakamega County was been arrested in the ealrly hours of Tuesday after being found in possession of machetes at a polling station.

In another incident, a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate for the Mvita Parliamentary seat as well as a Member of County Assembly (MCA) aspirant for Tudor ward were arrested following protests in the area.

UDA Mvita aspirant Omar Shallo (left) and Samir Ballo MCA Aspirant Tudor Ward being escorted to makupa police Pulse Live Kenya

Omar Shallo and Samir Bhalo are currently being detained at Makupa Police Station as police have accused them of disrupting the electoral process at the Tudor Village Hall.

Other election offences a voter should watch out for include:

Forge, counterfeit, deface or destroy any ballot paper or the official perforation, stamp or mark on any ballot paper
Supplying any ballot paper to any person without authority
Selling or offering for sale any ballot paper to any person
Purchasing or offering to purchase any ballot paper from any person not being a person entitled to be in possession of any ballot paper
Putting into any ballot box anything other than the ballot paper which he/she is authorised by law to put in
Without authority taking out any ballot paper out of a polling station or found in possession of any ballot paper outside a polling station
Removing election material from a polling station before, during or after an election without authority. Or destroying, taking, opening, disposing of or otherwise interfering with any election material in use or intended to be used for the purposes of an election
Printing without authority any ballot paper or what purports to be or is capable of being used as a ballot paper at an election
Being in possession of any appliance, device or mechanism that can interfere with ballots.
Voting at any election when they are not entitled to vote
Voting more than once in any election
Interfering with a voter in the casting of his vote in secret
Pretending to be unable to read or write so as to be assisted in voting
Pretending to be visually impaired or suffering from any other disability so as to be assisted in voting

The commission has also urged voters to leave polling centres once they have casted vote and has also cautioned voters against causing frakas when at the polling stations.