Justin Muturi calls for restoration of voter’s card to curb electoral fraud
By Mustafa Juma, March 5, 2026Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) Party Leader Justin Muturi has called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently reinstate the voter’s card as the primary and mandatory document for voting.
Taking to his official X account on Thursday, March 5, 2026, the former attorney general argued that the move would help protect Kenya’s electoral system from manipulation.
Cross-county voting
The former Speaker recounted an encounter during a recent political tour in Nakuru, Nyandarua, and Nyeri counties, claiming that some individuals admitted to travelling to Mbeere North to vote despite not being registered voters in that jurisdiction.
Muturi said three people approached him after a public engagement in Kiawara and apologised, allegedly revealing that they had been facilitated and paid to vote for a government-backed candidate during a recent by-election.
According to Muturi, the individuals admitted that they were not registered voters in Mbeere North but had participated in the voting exercise after being transported and financially incentivised.
“This past weekend, during our tour of Nakuru, Nyandarua, and Nyeri counties, I encountered a moment that left me deeply disturbed. After our final engagement with the people of Kiawara, three individuals approached me and said, “Mhesh, pole sana.” I asked them why they were apologizing. Their response was shocking. They told me they had travelled to Mbeere North and voted in the recent by-election in favour of the government’s candidate,” Muturi stated.
“I asked them whether they were registered voters in Mbeere North. They said they were not. According to them, they had been facilitated and paid to go there and vote. They admitted they were sorry, but said they did it because they were given money.”
He described the incident as evidence of a deeper structural challenge threatening Kenya’s electoral credibility.
Fraudulent issuance of IDs
Muturi also raised alarm over what he termed a worrying trend of fraudulent issuance of national identity cards.
He claimed that there are growing risks that identity documents could be issued to individuals outside Kenya’s borders and later used to influence elections.
While he did not provide documentary evidence supporting the claim, Muturi argued that the integrity of the electoral process requires stricter controls on voter identification.
The politician urged IEBC to restore the voter’s card as the only acceptable document for voting, arguing that national identity cards alone should not be sufficient for casting a ballot.
He said Kenya’s democracy risks being reduced to what he described as a “marketplace” where votes are allegedly bought, transported across regions, and traded for political advantage.
“Further, we are now witnessing a worrying trend where Kenyan national identity cards are allegedly being issued to criminals and individuals from outside our borders. This raises a grave risk that such documents could be used to interfere with our elections,” he stated.
“For this reason, voting must be made strictly exclusive to the voter’s card. National IDs alone should not be sufficient for voting.I therefore call upon the IEBC to urgently restore the use of the voter’s card as the mandatory and exclusive document for voting.”
2027 vote rigging
Muturi’s remarks come hours after Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo revealed that the opposition is already putting in place a nationwide strategy aimed at preventing vote rigging in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Thursday, March 5, 2026, during an interview with a local TV station, Maanzo warned that Kenyans will not accept disputed outcomes as seen in previous electoral cycles.
The Wiper Patriotic Front Party lawmaker said the opposition coalition is preparing to deploy agents in every polling station across the country to safeguard the integrity of the vote.
According to Maanzo, the opposition has drawn lessons from past elections in which some parties alleged irregularities and manipulation of results.
He said the coalition intends to implement a robust monitoring system that will ensure results are verified at the polling station level before being transmitted and tallied nationally.
“Kenyans will not accept stolen elections anymore. Whoever thinks they are going to run a government having stolen elections will get a shock of their life. ODM has suffered under stolen elections in the past, and therefore, this time round, we are going to be careful,” he said.