Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has issued three demands to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) team, whose interviews just concluded.
In a statement on social media on Sunday, April 13, Kaluma stated that once appointed, the commissioners should reconsider overhauls in several sectors, including creating a fresh voter registry.
According to Kaluma, the current registry included individuals who do not exist, while others had been registered several times.
"Collapse the voter register and register voters afresh. The current voter register is full of dead people and individuals registered multiple times, some up to 5-10 times," he stated.
"It is the reason you hear people from a region which comprises some 10 per cent of Kenya's population shout to all other Kenyans how they have over 30 per cent of Kenya's voters and therefore dictate who is Kenya's president! The voter register is irredeemably adulterated and must be entirely collapsed."
He further alleged that this granted the so-called "favoured regions" the autonomy to rig elections for their preferred presidential candidate.
According to the MP, the IEBC commissioners abused these extra numbers to demand more funds in the budget, stating, "IEBC currently demanding Ksh62 billion to conduct the next elections – it is all about ripping Kenya off while enriching the IEBC entrepreneurs!"
Secondly, the MP demanded that the new commissioners review constituency and ward boundaries, which he clarified did not mean change.
"This process should confirm the existing electoral units and boundaries; review doesn't mean change," the MP noted.
"Delimitation of boundaries of electoral units is an emotive process which ends with litigation before a bench of judges. We don't have time for this, noting we are in the middle of the 3rd year of elections."
Lastly, he urged the commission to stop colluding with foreign powers and organisations who, he alleged, interfered with elections.
"Stop the Commission from colluding with foreign powers and organisations to interfere with our elections. Through elections, countries determine their leadership. He who pays the piper calls the tune. We must, therefore, fund our elections," he concluded.
