Nyong'o asks IEBC to extend voting in Kisumu to 8pm

Governor Anyan'g Nyong'o now wants IEBC to extend voting in Nyanza region until 8 pm.

According to the governor, the exercise has been marred with failure of KIEM's kits.

Addressing the media at the Azimio regional coordinating office, Nyong'o said he had rung the commission's chairman Wafula Chebukati to ask for a two hours extension.

"What is going on in our counties is unacceptable. The commission has introduced new voting procedures which were not expected by candidates and voters," he said.

KIEM's validation form which is not provided in law has been introduced by the IEBC in the region according to Nyong'o.

He said the commission had instructed presiding officers last night to use the forms to identify voters who can't be identified by the kit.

"We want the chairman to immediately remove the illegal forms and revert to well known lawful procedures recognised by the Constitution," he said.

Nyong'o said the forms are not available in most polling stations in Nyanza.

He claimed that Presiding Officers had been instructed by the commission to have the forms photocopied last night which didn't happen.

The governor said the delay was frustrating voters, particularly the elderly.

"This procedure was not part of the training for the polling agents and other officials. It was not part of the syllabus."

He said it was not necessary to introduce a new voting procedure that was not part of the two years of elections preparations.

"This system has messed up the exercise in many polling stations across the county. We have received reports that most people have been denied the right to vote in the four counties of Nyanza which include Siaya, Kisumu, Migori and Homa Bay due to KIEM'S failure," he said.

The governor said his fingers could not be identified by the kit in his polling station at Rata primary school.

"I was later allowed to vote by the presiding officer there using the numerical identification but elsewhere affected voters aren't getting similar treatment," he said.

Nyong'o said immediate steps should be taken by the commission to rectify the anomaly which he described as terrible procedure.