A Nairobi voter was kicked out of a polling station after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) KIEMS kit flagged him as a second-time voter.
According to the IEBC officials at the Kawangware polling centre, the gadget sounded an alarm when the voter was being being screened for biometric identification.
A second attempt at biometric identification in the presence of the electoral officials blacklisted the voter - signalling an earlier registration of the fingerprint.
However, the distraught voter maintained that he had not voted before, further displaying his unmarked fingers to make his defence.
Nonetheless, the polling station presiding officer directed the police officer manning the station to get him out. The accused was however not arrested.
Voting more than once is illegal, according to the Election Offences Act, with the law prescribing punitive punishment for offenders.
" A person who votes more than once in any election commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding Ksh1 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years or both," the Act reads in part.
The incident came against a backdrop of cases technical hitches that hit a number of kits in isolated polling stations across the country.
Among those affected was Roots Party presidential candidate Prof George Wajackoyah who only voted hours later after being identified on the manual register.
Speaking during a press briefing, IEBC Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera admitted that the regions had experienced a malfunction of the KIEMS kit and had consequently approved the use of the manual voters register.
Among those affected were 84 polling stations in Kibwezi constituency and 54 polling stations in Malava, Matungu, Mumias East and Mumias West constituencies.
The Commission noted that it had deployed its IT staff to resolve the issue. It also revealed that it had six backup kits in every ward to counter any interruptions.
“Our ICT officers are on the ground, and when they are called upon in the polling station, they ascertain its failure of the kit and not any other failure,” Cherera stated.
