, NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 18 – AfriCOG Executive Director Gladwell Otieno now wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission compelled by the courts to open up the voters register for public scrutiny.
In the application, Otieno is seeking orders directing the polls body to gazette the final register per polling station ahead of the General Election.
Also sought are orders stopping the electoral agency from distributing the voters register to Returning Officers pending determination of the suit.
Otieno is asking the court to grant the orders over claims that there are inconsistencies in the voters register in certain regions.
The applicant argues that under the Elections Act, the Commission is required to open up the register 90 days to the election date.
In addition, the NGO founder wants the electoral body prohibited from deploying the voters register for use in the General Election before it is subjected to public inspection.
She argues that inspection of the register will enable her to scrutinise and ascertain the actual registered voters.
AfriCOG has faulted IEBC for failing to publish the voters register and in so doing poses a threat to the exercise of the right to free, fair and democratic elections.
“IEBC without any basis has refused to publish and open up the voters register for public inspection as required by law,” Otieno states.