IEBC begins training clerks

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IEBC officials being trained on the use of biometric voter registration kits at the Kasarani Sports Centre last week. Training of clerks starts on November 11, 2012. Photo/EMMA NZIOKA  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, November 11  2012 at  20:47

IN SUMMARY

• Exercise set to end on Saturday as poll agency prepares to draw up new roll of voters

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The electoral commission has started training clerks for the registration of voters across the country.

In Mombasa, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will also hold a stakeholders’ meeting at the Municipal Council hall today to introduce the biometric voter registration (BVR) kits.

South Coast IEBC coordinator Amina Soud said yesterday that training would start across the Coast where 1,416 clerks, more than 70 voter registration assistants and 14 deputy registration officers had been recruited.

She told the Nation in an interview that the commission targeted 1.5 million voters at the Coast.

She said the kits and training materials had been sent to all the constituencies but added that rural areas would have to share the kits.

“In rural constituencies, clerks will have to share kits because we don’t have enough for every polling centre,” she said.

In the North Rift, more than 1,500 BVR kits have been distributed to six counties as training of electoral clerks begins.

IEBC regional coordinator Solomon Mudanya said the materials arrived in Eldoret on Saturday and had been delivered to Nandi, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot counties.

“Training of the clerks will start today at the respective county headquarters and ends on Saturday in preparation for the registration exercise,” said Mr Mudanya, noting the process would be done in two phases of three days each.

Baringo Central constituency IEBC coordinator Moses Simiyu was on Sunday in Nakuru to collect the kits.

“We are hopeful of beating the voter registration exercise deadline as we took people with the highest qualifications. We were giving those with computer qualification first priority,” said Mr Simiyu.

For Central Rift Valley, the demonstration of using the BVR kits will be conducted today at the Anglican Church of Kenya hall in Nakuru town, said the commission’s regional coordinator Ali Mohammed. (READ: How new voters list will be made)

By Daniel Nyassy, Francis Mureithi, Barnabas Bii and Wycliff Kipsang