The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has stood firm on its decision not to allow the use of the manual voter registrar as a backup plan to the electronic identification of voters in the August general election.

The commission said it made the decision based on the Appellate Court’s judgement of 2017 when the National Super Alliance (NASA) went to court seeking orders to overturn a High Court ruling that found IEBC had used a complimentary voter identification method.

This comes after the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and a section of civil society organisations questioned the commission’s rationale in the directive.


The commission’s chairperson Wafula Chebukati responded to Raila and the civil societies saying biometric verification is the primary mode of identifying voters and a complementary mechanism of alphanumeric search would only be used if the biometric verification of a voter fails.

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“Biometric verification is the primary mode of identifying voters. Where a voter cannot be identified using biometrics, then the presiding officers shall use a complementary mechanism of alpha numeric search in the presence of agents,” Chebukati said.

IEBC commissioner Abdi Guliye reiterated that the rate of failure is minimal, given one has 10 digits from which a fingerprint can be obtained.

“The failure rate is supposed to be very low because we have 10 fingerprints and we only need one. So if one fails, you go to the next one until all the 10 are exhausted,” Guliye said.

Other pertinent issues Raila raised included the collapse of the electronic identification system by default or design.

IEBC 

IEBC addressed Raila’s concerns by saying the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) will be used as backup complimentary kits and everyone will vote.

“If there is a total failure of the primary kit and backup kits, then the presiding officer will report the same to the returning officer and there is a protocol for that. Now is when the complimentary mechanism will kick in, that means you will resort to the register,” IEBC said.