IEBC dismisses claims of ‘foreigners’ registering as voters

Turkana County, on the other hand, has surpassed its target in the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration drive, registering more than 51,000 voters against a target of 27,206, yet concerns remain that many eligible residents were left out.

IEBC crediting mobile outreach for 51,000 registrations, nearly double the target, despite grappling with access and security challenges, with leaders calling for an extension to reach excluded communities.

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In Trans Nzoia, Mr Natembeya has repeatedly alleged that influential figures within the Kenya Kwanza administration were financing and facilitating the registration of individuals from neighbouring countries to influence voting patterns. He specifically claimed that people from Uganda were being registered in Endebess Sub-county as part of a coordinated political scheme, and called for investigations.

He argued the alleged scheme was designed to manipulate voting patterns in the county and called for thorough investigations.

A youth-led “Niko Kadi” initiative in the county also reported intimidation, alleging state interference aimed at undermining voter mobilisation efforts.

However, the IEBC has firmly rejected the claims. Trans Nzoia County coordinator Mr Patrick Wanyama termed the allegations “unfounded and misleading”, insisting the process was secure and credible.

“All KIEMS kits are traceable and cannot operate outside their designated jurisdictions. Two officers are assigned to each kit, meaning one deployed in Matisi Ward in Saboti Constituency cannot function in Kwanza Constituency,” said Mr Wanyama.

He emphasised that voter registration is governed by strict constitutional guidelines and requires a valid Kenyan national identity card, leaving no room for non-citizens to be enlisted.

“We register voters within Kenya using IDs. There is no KIEMS kit operating in Uganda or anywhere outside our jurisdiction,” he said, urging those with evidence to come forward for investigation.

Despite the tensions, spot checks indicated that registration proceeded smoothly in several parts of the county. By the end of the exercise, Trans Nzoia had achieved 88.7 per cent of its target. Saboti Constituency led with 10,665 new voters, followed by Kiminini (9,495), Cherangany (8,090), Kwanza (6,500) and Endebess (5,646).

The county also recorded 6,618 voter transfers, both within constituencies and to and from the county, while 58 voters updated their registration details. The new voters are expected to boost the current tally of 398,000, with projections indicating the figure could surpass half a million by 2027.

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Meanwhile, in Turkana County, the narrative was markedly different, with the region surpassing its registration target, despite grappling with access and security challenges.

According to County IEBC Coordinator Mr Amos Obonyo, more than 51,000 voters were registered against a target of 27,206.

“The high turnout was driven by reliable voter registration mobilisers who moved door-to-door. Faith-based organisations and state actors, including local administrators, were also critical,” said Mr Obonyo.

He noted that the return of pastoralist communities from neighbouring Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan following the rains boosted participation.

The commission’s use of mobile registration units also proved effective in reaching remote, nomadic populations.

“Our clerks, with support from local administrators and voter mobilisers, moved with mobile kits to grazing fields and water points to register as many people as possible,” he said.

However, leaders warned that not all eligible voters were reached. Nominated MCA in Turkana East, Ms Selina Lokope, said the county’s vastness forced leaders to provide logistical support to registration teams to access remote villages.

She added that areas affected by banditry remained largely uncovered.

“We call for improved security and an extension of the exercise so that no eligible person in Turkana is left out because their village is insecure,” she said.

Turkana County Assembly Speaker Charles Lokioto cited insecurity and environmental pressures as key barriers.

“Disarmament operations along Turkana’s borders, especially in the East, South and neighbouring West Pokot have instilled fear among residents,” he said.

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He also pointed to prolonged drought that forced migration in search of water and pasture, disrupting registration efforts, and raised concerns about elderly voters struggling with fingerprint identification during biometric registration.

Baringo County also exceeded its voter registration target in the exercise, recording more than 36,333 new voters against a target of 32,058.

Eldama Ravine Constituency led the tally with 7,823 new voters against a target of 7,308, followed by Tiaty with 6,758 registrations against a target of 4,456. Other constituencies also posted solid figures, with Baringo Central registering 5,882 voters, Mogotio 5,603, Baringo North 5,208 and Baringo South 5,059.

County Returning Officer John Mwangi credited the achievement to collaboration between leaders and residents, and singled out Tiaty for setting the pace.

“We attribute this to the cooperation and involvement of all leaders in the county. I want to single out Tiaty constituency, which has been doing well and has challenged the other five constituencies by achieving over 100 per cent of its target. Even after this, there will be physical registration at our constituency offices,” he said.

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