IEBC responds after ODM's demo threat over Kibra voter register

IEBC has responded hours after ODM threatened to hold a demo over the Kibra voter register.

ODM had on Tuesday demanded a full register of voters in the constituency including the new voters.

IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati on Wednesday said they had received 377 new voters by 2019.

In 2017, the number of Kibra voters was 118,276. The current number stands at 118,609.

"The Commission has from today (Tuesday) posted the changes to the Kibra voters register detailed above in the Constituency Returning Officer's office for seven (7) days inspection and verification," he said.

"Thereafter, the register will be certified and be readily available for sharing with Political Parties including ODM and any other interested party."

Chebukati assured the public that the register will be ready on time before November 7 when the by-election will be conducted.

ODM had threatened to hold the demo in order to demand IEBC to publicly release the full register.

The party said it wants a full list of voters since 2017, including the dates and centres of registration.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, ODM Director of Elections and the Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said the unwillingness by the IEBC to release the list makes the party doubt the credibility of the upcoming by-election.

"It is this unwillingness by the IEBC to conduct elections strictly in accordance with the law that breeds suspicion and leads us to start believing rumours doing rounds of secret meetings between top IEBC officials and some Jubilee senior officials which are not limited to attempts to alter the voter register," Junet said.

Kibra seat which was left vacant after the death of former MP Ken Okoth has attracted 24 candidates.

They include Jubilee aspirant McDonald Mariga, Imram Okoth of ODM, Khamisi Butichi of Ford Kenya party, Eliud Owalo of ANC among others.