Chief Justice, Martha Karambu Koome, has weighed in on Deputy President William Ruto's claims that at least one million voters from his strongholds were expunged from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voters register.
Speaking on Friday, June 3, Koome noted that all processes running to the election day including voter registration, transfer of voters, verification, certification, and publication of the register of voters, should be done in a manner that promotes and ensures the complete and accurate and franchise of eligible voters.
The Chief Justice further called on IEBC to address all the issues arising from the ongoing process by involving all stakeholder ahead of the August 9 polls.
"It is such a proactive approach to addressing concerns that might be raised by voters and stakeholders that ensures that the IEBC and all Kenyans become agents and champions of electoral integrity and also engenders the confidence of Kenyans in the credibility of the electoral process," Koome stated.
Her sentiments come after Ruto claimed that one million voters had been deleted from the voter register, alleging that they were all from his strongholds.
The second in command noted that it was part of a larger ploy to rig him out in the presidential election.
"We expect that everybody who is concerned including the EU to try and get as much detail as possible both from the electoral commission and these public officials on what all this is all about and how did close to a million names disappear from the register. And many of those names are from what we consider our stronghold. It is a clear attempt to try some monkey games," Ruto told European Union Envoys during a breakfast meeting on Thursday, June 2, at his Karen office.
IEBC chairperson, Wafula Wanyonyi Chebukati, however, dismissed Ruto's claims noting that the process is still underway and the voter register will be made public in accordance with IEBC timelines.
CJ Koome also addressed the issues that led to the nullification of the 2017 General Election, expressing confidence that the electoral agency will seal all the loopholes to avoid a repeat of the same.
"Our expectation is that the IEBC is consciously working to ensure its processes meet the demands of the principles of our electoral system," she stated.
"It is also our expectation that lessons from the past judicial decisions are being considered by the IEBC as it prepares to conduct elections."
On the Judiciary's preparedness to address issues of electoral related disputes, Koome revealed that she has already gazetted 120 special Judges who will handle all disputes.
She further noted that 3,000 police officers from the Judiciary Police Unit have been deployed to different parts of the country.
The CJ noted that the Judiciary had undertaken training for all judicial officers involved in hearing poll disputes as well as ensuring adequate security for the officers.
