Wamuzi News Ke
The Elections Observation Group (ELOG) has raised the alarm over Kenya’s voter register, calling for an independent audit ahead of the 2027 General Elections. This demand follows explosive concerns from Royal Media Services (RMS) Chairman SK Macharia, who questioned the credibility of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) Register of Voters (RoV).
Macharia pointed to years of electoral disputes—stretching from 2007 to 2022—as proof of serious flaws in voter registration and management. The pattern of irregularities, he warned, signals an urgent need for reform.
ELOG, in a fiery statement released Wednesday, exposed persistent errors in the voter roll, citing previous audits that unveiled shocking discrepancies. A 2012 review found a staggering 143,530 errors, while the 2017 audit flagged 169,646 duplicate records. Even more disturbing, the KPMG audit in 2017 revealed over 1 million deceased individuals still registered to vote, raising fears of electoral manipulation.
Despite assurances that biometric KIEMS kits help curb such issues, ELOG noted that manual voter identification remains a loophole that could enable fraud.
The watchdog also expressed frustration over being denied access to conduct an independent audit of the 2022 voter register—despite submitting a formal request backed by a sworn affidavit for data privacy protection.
With a new IEBC team in place, ELOG is demanding a complete overhaul or rigorous cleaning of the voter roll, warning that its current state threatens the credibility of the 2027 elections.
“Concerns over the integrity of the Register of Voters are legitimate. These must be addressed before the next election,” the organization insisted, further pushing for public involvement in the auditing process to enhance transparency.
ELOG is now demanding full access to conduct an independent audit before 2027, warning that failure to act could compromise Kenya’s democracy.
“The voter register is the foundation of free and fair elections. We call on authorities to take decisive action immediately,” emphasized ELOG Chairperson Victor Nyongesa.
