The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned ODM after the Party came up with fresh demands concerning the upcoming Kibra byelection.
ODM accused IEBC of conspiring with some shadowy figures to disenfranchise voters in Kibra of their legitimate right to vote.
ODM revealed that thousands of voters had their names dropped from the register and a couple more moved from polling stations without their consent.
This happened after the electoral body failed to honour ODM’s demand to reveal a full voters’ register with ID numbers and polling station.
Responding to ODM, IEBC said it had published a complete voters’ register and supplied them to the various polling stations spread across Kibra.
However, ODM would decry the list, saying it lacked the details necessary to occasion a verification process.
Press statement on Kibra Constituency By election. pic.twitter.com/EZhsQ1oISf
— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) October 31, 2019
In the Thursday evening response, IEBC revealed they were no longer going to comply to ODM’s demands, saying they had reasons for the same.
Part of the reasons put forward by IEBC for not revealing I.D numbers was that it could jeopardize the privacy of the voters.
We are demanding that the @IEBCKenya live up to their expectations and provide the people of Kibra with voter register that has the full name of the voter, polling station & his/her ID number. What they have provided doesn't have voters' ID numbers hence making verification hard.
— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) October 31, 2019
IEBC dispelled claims by ODM that voters had been expunged from the register and tens of thousands others included from elsewhere, saying they were unfounded.
The Kibra by-election has witnessed a heated campaign with Jubilee Party pulling a late surprise by fronting McDonald Mariga.
ODM PRESS RELEASE ON KIBRA VOTERS REGISTEROnce again, we are constrained to go public with what we consider critical…
Posted by Philip Etale on Thursday, 31 October 2019
While some 21 candidates presented themselves after the seat fell vacant in July, the front-runners are ODM’s Bernard Okoth ‘Imran’, McDonald Mariga and ANC’s Eliud Owalo.
The mini polls slated for November 7 have witnessed their fair share of drama with ODM being accused of sponsoring targeted attacks on Jubilee rallies.