The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, led by Deputy President William Ruto, on Monday, August 8, filed a petition in court contesting the use of manual voter register by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as ordered by the High Court.
The UDA party claimed that the integrity of the polls was at risk of being compromised if the electoral body relied on a manual register.
The commission had previously maintained that it would only use the electronic KIEMS kits on Tuesday, August 9 poll. However, the High Court on Friday, August 5, ordered IEBC to incorporate the manual registers – a directive that they have since complied with.
The move to use manual registers as a backup was supported by proponents of the Azimio la Umoja coalition. On the other hand, the UDA party advocated for a pure electronic register.
Ruto said they demand that all the attempts to twist elections be stopped so that Kenya Kwanza can embark on its plans.
“We ask Kenyans to ignore blackmail, lies, fears, Vote for mabadiliko ya Uchumi,” he said.
“We are committed to a peaceful elections and we will not contradict our vow to bring peace. We urge every Kenyan to vote peaceful and wait for results peacefully,” he said.
Ruto said they submit to peace not because they are shy but they understand the need to have a peaceful environment for Kenya’s economy to thrive.
“We assure our investors of protection of their businesses. we welcome partners of goodwill to come and assist in the re-awakening the Kenyan economy,” he said.
“We are all victims of an economic management system gone rogue on us but don’t despair, it is times like this we suspend our fear of the unknown and have the courage to say no to anything that threatens our humanity, civility, and decency.”
Ruto said this is going to be an election that is going to finally confirm that it is the people who hire and fire governments.
“The people of Kenya will in this election confirm their centrality of place in the constitution,” he said.
“Tuesday is going to be a defining day where the people of Kenya discover the power of their vote.”
His remarks comes hours after the Incoming US Ambassador to Kenya Margaret Whitman expressed confidence that the August 9th general elections will be free and fair.
Speaking when she presented her credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Whitman said Kenya will also have a peaceful transition.
“…I have no doubt Kenya will showcase for the world what free and fair election looks like and how peaceful transitions work,”
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has agreed to use the manual register in polling stations after months of push and pull.
In an address to the press on Friday, August 5, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati noted that the process of distributing the manual registers had started.
The last-minute changes followed a ruling by the High Court requiring that the electoral body incorporates the manual registers into its operations.
Initially, IEBC had maintained that it would only use KIEMS kits in its operations.
“We shall now deploy the printed register of voters at the polling stations where the names of the voters shall be crossed out after identification of voters using the KIEMs Kit.
“The Commission commits to adhere to the rule of law and will facilitate the realisation of political rights of Kenyans as is capitulated in Article 38 of the constitution in order to deliver a free, fair and credible election,”
announced Chebukati.
He further explained that register contained all the details of the voter ranging from the photo and ID number among others.
“It has two levels of usage; it will be crossed out at the same time with verification by the biometrics and also as complementary if the KIEMS Kit fails,”
Chebukati added.
The announcement succeeded a ruling by the High Court, which revoked a decision by the IEBC to exclude manual registers.
In July, Azimio la Umoja One Kenya led by former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, had threatened to boycott the election if the commission excludes the use of the printed register.
Raila, at the time, stated that the IEBC must embrace both manual and electronic voter registers and if they do not, there would be no election on August 9.
He insisted that both registers must be accessible due to alleged attempts to sabotage the upcoming election.
“With a manual register, it will be easy to tell how many people have voted in every polling station. In the electronic register, there is no record that remains.
“That is why we are saying that there must be a manual register at every polling station, it is not negotiable. We are telling the IEBC they must have a manual register along with the biometric identification of voters on that day; failure to which, there will be no election,”
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential candidate, William Ruto, has written to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Wafula Chebukati, over alleged plans to rig the upcoming General Election.
In a letter dated Saturday, July 30, and made public on August 3, UDA national chief agent, Abraham Kithure Kindiki, implicated President Uhuru Kenyatta in a scheme to use public officers to interfere with the electoral process.
Kindiki argued that police officers and national government administrators were being used to compromise the August 9 votes in favour of Azimio La Umoja’s Raila Odinga.
Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki pictured on April 9, 2022. PHOTO: COURTESY
“We have received credible information that the Office of the President is deploying police officers to intimidate and harass voters to support the presidential candidate for Azimio,”
Kindiki’s letter read in part.
He further alleged that the government had resorted to voter bribery by deploying administrators on the election date to compromise voters in Kenya Kwanza strongholds.
“We have also reliably learnt that the public officers may be deployed by the state to induce voters and in some cases intimidate them by compromising the peace on the election day.”
The outgoing Tharaka Nithi Senator accused the Head of State of committing an electoral offence, not only by publicly endorsing a presidential candidate but also by allegedly using state resources to fund his campaign.
“Section 16 of the Public Officers Ethics Act (2003) requires complete political neutrality by all public officers and prohibits them from acting as agents for or furthering the interests of a political party or candidate in an election,”
Ruto wants the Chebukati-led Commission to launch investigations into the reports arguing that it may undermine the credibility of the August 9 polls.
On Wednesday, August 3, the President, while on a tour of Kisii, termed the recent complaints by his deputy as kicks of a dying horse after realising that his presidential bid was in turmoil.
He likened Ruto to a driver of a bus who had an untrustworthy conductor who deviated his attention from the road. He added that the ‘driver’ ends up losing control and lands the vehicle in a ditch.
Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, has also exonerated himself and his Principal Secretary, Karanja Kibicho, from accusations that they were the masterminds of buying national ID cards and distributing inciteful pamphlets.
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