Anomalies detected in Kenyan voter roll

Fears have arisen of numerous anomalies in the recently concluded voter registration exercise undertaken by the Independent Electoral Commission, IIEC ahead of a referendum on the proposed new constitution.

Currently the IIEC is carrying out voter verification and so far some 200 anomalies have been detected in one polling station alone.

The anomalies at Gachie polling station in Kiambaa constituency include incorrect information on the area MP Stanley Githunguri.

Gachie polling station has a total of 2558 registered voters.

The IIEC had given Kenyans up to Sunday July 11as the deadline for verification of their particulars in the voters' registers.

Some of the discrepancies in the registers include missing or misspelled names, non-listing of national identity card numbers and missing digits in the ID numbers.

Registered voters are now worried that they may be locked out of the referendum and are urging the IIEC to extend the deadline for verification of their particulars.

Kiambu regional co-ordinator Gachui Gitau who spoke to KBC on phone said all the mistakes will be rectified by Friday.

In the verification exercise, voters confirm that their names appear in the black book, which contains all their data. If they notice mistakes, they notify the clerks, who make changes in a correction form, and send it to the regional office.

Anomalies were also detected in parts of Rift Valley and leaders in the region are calling for a commitment from the commission that corrections will be carried out immediately.

Some leaders especially opponents of the proposed new constitution are reading mischief into the anomalies claiming that the glaring mistakes may be a sign that the vote may not be free and fair.

Currently IIEC is carrying out countrywide registration of prisoners in correctional facilities.