Agency says arrested trio didn’t have BVR kits

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Ezra Chiloba (right) with his Chairman Wafula Chebukati addressing journalists at the commission’s offices in Nairobi on January 31,2017. PHOTO | FILE 

By GEORGE OMONDI

In Summary

• The suspects aged between 22 and 28 were not found with biometric voter registration (BVR) kits.
• Reports on social media had linked the materials recovered in Nairobi to BVR kits stolen a week earlier from electoral officials in Mandera.
• The electoral agency said it was aware that a number of politicians were transferring voters to boost their chances in the August 8 polls.

The national electoral agency has said three suspects arrested in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Saturday night may have been on a mission to transfer voters rather than tamper with ongoing registration.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), repeating a statement issued earlier by police, said the suspects aged between 22 and 28 were not found with biometric voter registration (BVR) kits.

Instead, they had 33 voter registration forms, photocopying and printing equipment and several transfer forms (33 of them duly filled). Police also recovered 83 national identity cards, an acknowledgement slip, a ledger book and a note book filled with names.

“The black book had names from different constituencies indicating that the suspects must have been sourcing individuals for transfer,” IEBC chief executive Ezra Maloba said at a Press briefing yesterday.

Reports on social media had linked the materials recovered in Nairobi to BVR kits stolen a week earlier from electoral officials in Mandera during a raid on Arabia Administration Police camp.

The opposition has alleged a number of malpractices in the ongoing voter registration, ranging from shared national identity cards to registration of foreigners.

Yesterday, the electoral agency said it was aware that a number of politicians were transferring voters to boost their chances in the August 8 polls. “It has become a case where leaders are choosing voters and not voters choosing leaders. This is not democracy that were are working for,” said Mr Chiloba.

He said the IEBC was working closely with the police to ensure that the suspects arrested on Saturday are brought to justice.

The month-long voter registartion exercise ends tomorrow.

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