IEBC to start electronic voter registration Nov 19

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PHOTO | FILE The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials demonstrate the registration process using the BVR kits.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, November 12  2012 at  11:02

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The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has maintained that the biometric voter registration will start on Monday next week after completion of staff training.

IEBC Chairman Ahmed Hassan on Monday said the commissioners had unanimously agreed on the date because training of clerks would have been completed by then.

"The registration will go on for 30 days. We are targeting at least 18 million voters out of a possible 26 million. I urge Kenyans to turn up in large numbers," he said at the launch of a voter registration campaign in Nairobi.

The exercise is expected to continue till December 19 after which correction of voters' details will take place for the next 15 days.

Registration was initially scheduled to start Monday, Novermber 12,, but the commission pushed it forward arguing that it needed more time to train its staff on the new BVR kits.

On Monday, Mr Hassan said the 29, 000 clerks would have been inducted by Friday this week.

"The commission is currently conducting countrywide cascaded training intending to train 30,000 clerks. Training on BVR for selected regional co-coordinators has been done. Training of clerks will be conducted from today," he said.

"Mapping of registration centres is already done. The commission has mapped over 24,000 registration centres to be gazzetted by Friday. They will be published in local dailies and will be available on our website as well."

At the same time Mr Hassan said election regulations will be gazetted by end of the week and will be published in local dailies.

The regulations, which had seen the Commission come under pressure from civil societies to publish, are the guidelines on how voters and candidates should conduct themselves.

The electoral commission has already started training clerks for the registration of voters across the country. (READ: IEBC begins training clerks)

In the Coast region, 1,416 clerks, more than 70 voter registration assistants and 14 deputy registration officers have been recruited for the exercise.

In the North Rift, more than 1,500 BVR kits have been distributed to six counties.

The general election is scheduled for March 4, 2013.