Pressure continues to mount on the electoral agency to make public the findings of an audit by KPMG on the voter register.

Speaking yesterday, lobby groups under the banner of Uchaguzi warned that delays in making public the report by KPMG puts the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on the spot since the majority of Kenyans are still in doubt over its preparedness to conduct next month’s polls.

“Without a credible register, it is difficult to assess the quality and honesty of elections. We, therefore, urge IEBC to release the audit report and fast track the process of sharing the aggregated voters list for inspection by interested individuals and organisations,” said Francis Mukwanja, the executive director of the Centre for Multi-Party Democracy (CMD).

He added: “ The country does not know whether the commission undertook an audit of the existing kits before purchasing new ones. If it did, why has the report not been made public?”

Centre of disputes

The lobby groups said the register of voters has been at the center of election disputes and irregularities, including transfer of voters without their knowledge.

They added that the poll agency admitted that a simulation exercise conducted a few weeks ago exposed many failures.

“We urge IEBC to ensure that gaps and failures noted in the previous exercise are eliminated. The country cannot afford a systematic failure, as was witnessed in the first simulation”, they said.

During a simulation last month, only 1,200 polling stations successfully transmitted data, out of 2,900 selected for the dry run. The simulation recorded a 59 per cent failure rate, fuelling doubts on IEBC’s readiness to conduct the elections, which are only 22 days away.

The groups also flagged discrepancies between statements issued by IEBC in April and June regarding 3G network coverage. They noted that commissioner Francis Wanderi announced that more than 260 polling stations had no 3G coverage, compared with 1,111 stations announced in June.

The lobby groups demanded that IEBC lists all polling stations without 3G or 4G coverage, as well as county centres from where it will transmit the results.

“The transmission system might work partially or collapse on election day,” they warned.

Transfer of voters

Also, the groups urged IEBC to address election offences, especially irregular transfer of voters to certain polling stations.

“Despite the sensitivity of the offence, we are yet to see any stern action being taken. In the possibility that this is not an isolated incident, the integrity of the elections will be seriously compromised,” said Mukwanja.

The groups praised the Supreme Court for disqualifying Mike Sonko, urging the courts to be bold while enforcing Chapter Six of the constitution.

Uchaguzi movement comprises Transparency International, CMD, Mzalendo Trust, Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO) and Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA).