Photo Courtesy IEBC
By JULIUS MBALUTO
In a media briefing held at Lake Naivasha Resort, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati has shared that the Commission is determined to progressively actualize the right of Kenyans in Prisons and those living outside the country to participate in General Election. Regulation 34(2) of the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2012 provides that:
“A decision by the Commission to register Kenyan citizens residing outside Kenya or to conduct elections outside Kenya shall be based on the presence of Kenyan embassy, High Commission or Consulate.”
ECVR II will also augment the right to register as a voter for Kenyans living outside the country (diaspora) and prisoners. In addition to Kenyans in Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa, which participated in 2017 General Election, the Commission will extend diaspora voter registration exercise to seven more countries namely, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, South Sudan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Germany.
Key Dates
The Chairman shared that the voter registration for citizens residing outside Kenya will start on 21st and end on 6th February 2022. Voter registration will be conducted during the official working hours at the Kenyan Embassies and Consulates in respective countries.
The Commission will use Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits to capture voters’ details such as fingerprints, photo, name, passport number, Identity Card number, polling center and country of residence.
Those who will have traveled home
In countries with multiple registration centers (USA, Canada, UAE and Tanzania), there will be an additional BVR kit for registration of voters in those centers. The Commission will avail a BVR kit in Huduma Center in GPO, Nairobi, to enable voter registration services to eligible diaspora citizens who will have traveled to Kenya during this registration period.
Requirements to register as a voter
Kenyan citizens residing outside Kenya who apply for registration as a voter must fulfil the following conditions: produce evidence of citizenship which is a valid Kenyan passport, be of eighteen years of age and above, and present their identification document to the Registration Officer stationed at a designated registration center. However, Kenyans residing within the East African Community can use their Identity Card as proof of their citizenship.
During this ECVR II, a voter previously registered in Kenya but wishing to vote in Diaspora country by visiting their preferred registration center in the Diaspora to change their voting station. Similarly, those who had previously registered in a Diaspora but wish to vote in Kenya should visit their preferred constituency IEBC office in Kenya and change their voting station.
Diaspora only votes for Presidential candidate
It is important to note that a registered voter in diaspora country will only be voting for the Presidential elective position. IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati says that the Commission is planning and putting in measures to ensure free, fair, credible, verifiable, accountable, and transparent General Election.
In line with Section 8A of the Election Act 2011, IEBC will engage reputable professional firm 6 months before the date of the election to audit the register of voters for accuracy. The Professional firm will give their report within 30 days and the commission will thereafter implement the report.
IEBC has now cleared 82 registered political parties to participate in General Election 2022. It has also approved the nomination rules of the 82 political parties and they are now ready to participate.
On 19th January 2022 IEBC will publish in Kenya Gazette a notice of the General Election of the Office of President, Members of Parliament, and Members of County Assembly. This notice marks the commencement of the election period.
After the publication, Election Offences Act 2016 and Electoral Code of Conduct will be in force.The Electoral Code of Conduct will cover the Party Primaries and any breach of the code will be adjudicated by the IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee, which is created under the Election Act.
As per the provisions of the Elections Act, 2011, public officers who are keen to contest in the 2022 General Election should vacate office by 9th February 2022.
