Raila’s Top Concerns for the IEBC Before the August Elections

Raila Odinga, the presidential candidate of the Azimio-OKA Coalition, wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure that the country’s elections are free and fair.

In a memorandum delivered to IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati on Sunday, the coalition requested that the commission make the state of its election preparations public.

Raila instructed the electoral board to safeguard and protect the voter registration, which is now being audited, in order to ensure the election’s integrity.

“We want a free and fair election process,” Raila stated.

“We want this exercise to be done in a free manner, and we want Kenyans to be able to freely express their will on August 9th to speak clearly that this is what Kenyans want.”

Raila wants the IEBC to solve the following issues: electronic voter identification and transmission of results, the integrity of the voter register, its audit, a proposal to alter the election regulations, and the appointment of returning officers.

The Azimio team continues to be concerned about the voter register’s integrity.

“Can the commission make the findings of its investigation into the erroneous voter transfer public?” How many voters were impacted by the alleged illegitimate transfers? Which voting stations are affected by the aforementioned erroneous transfers? He asked the commission, “Has the commission established when the stated transfers were made and who was accountable for the irregularity?”

The coalition also wants the commission to address issues such as ballot paper printing, the commission’s contract with Smart-matic, which saw the commission outsource essential electoral processes such as the results transmission requirement document, elections technology, and stakeholder engagement.

It urges the commission to incorporate those who are involved in the elections in all of the election’s material choices and processes. “When does the commission propose to conduct end-to-end electoral technology testing in a timely manner?” When does the commission propose to issue a public notice announcing the date, time, and location of the electoral technology end-to-end testing and inviting stakeholders to attend?”

Wafula Chebukati, speaking in the Bomas of Kenya, assured Raila Odinga and the general public that there was no need to panic because all of the necessary plans to ensure a credible, free, and fair election were in place.

“All of the issues you have raised have been addressed by the commission, and we are where we are supposed to be in terms of our elections timeline,” Chebukati said.

Stakeholders would be able to observe how the electoral body will use technology in election processes when a simulation of the same is staged in Kenya’s Bomas by the end of next week, he added.