The Kenyan parliament has rejected a proposal to audit the voter register six months before the 2027 general elections. The proposal, which was tabled by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, sought to have the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) hire an independent and qualified company to conduct the audit. However, the proposal was rejected by a majority of MPs, with Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma leading the opposition.
The rejection of the proposal has raised concerns about the credibility of the voter register. The IEBC has been criticized in the past for its failure to accurately maintain the voter register. In 2022, an audit by KPMG revealed that there were 246,465 deceased individuals still registered to vote. The audit also found that 481,711 records had duplicate or missing identification numbers.
The KPMG audit also revealed that over 226,000 individuals had registered using invalid documents. Furthermore, 25 former IEBC employees were found to have accessed the commission's servers without authorization. These findings have raised concerns about the integrity of the voter register and the potential for electoral malpractices.
The rejection of the proposal has been attributed to concerns about the cost and the potential for duplication of efforts. Peter Kaluma argued that the IEBC already has the mandate to manage and audit the voter register. He also cited the Kriegler Commission's recommendation that major changes to electoral laws should be avoided in the year leading up to an election.
However, Caroli Omondi argued that an independent audit was necessary for transparency and accountability. He noted that the IEBC is responsible for registering voters, while other institutions handle death records. An independent audit would help to verify the accuracy of the voter register and ensure that only eligible voters are registered.
The bill to amend the Electoral Laws, which includes the proposal to audit the voter register, was presented to the National Assembly in February 2025. It was passed by the National Assembly and sent to the Senate, which approved it in December 2024. The bill is now back in the National Assembly for reconsideration.
The rejection of the proposal to audit the voter register has sparked concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general elections. The IEBC has a critical role to play in ensuring that the elections are free, fair, and transparent. The commission must take steps to address concerns about the voter register and ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
Key points
- The Kenyan parliament has rejected a proposal to audit the voter register six months before the 2027 general elections.
- The voter register has been criticized in the past for its inaccuracy, with an audit revealing that there were 246,465 deceased individuals still registered to vote.
- The rejection of the proposal has sparked concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
