IEBC Staff In Trouble Over Alleged Illegal Voter Transfer In Wajir And Garissa County

MANDERA, Kenya, Aug, 5 – The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) requesting further investigation into irregular and illegal transfer of voters in the counties of Wajir and Garissa.

Haji in his letter dated August 4, 2022, asked Twalib Mbarak, CEO EACC to institute comprehensive investigations into allegations raised by the electoral body and submit his findings for perusal and further directions.

Marjan Hussein, the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had handed over to the ODPP a preliminary investigation report on irregular and illegal transfers of voters in these two counties last month.

Implicated in the report by the IEBC are Mr Adan Salah, the former ICT officer Wajir County now in Garissa county, and Issack Muhumed the former Returning Officer for Ijara Constituency and now RO Ijara constituency.

Also to be investigated is Mr Abdullahi Musa Mohamed the RO Balambala and now in Wajir West, Mr Mohamed Maow Abdi, the former deputy RO Balambala constituency and Mr Ali Noor Hussein the RO Balambala constituency in Garissa.

“The alleged registration and transfers of voters to Eldas constituency in Wajir and Balambala in Garissa by the aforementioned IEBC staff is contrary to section 3 and 6 of the Election Offences Act, 2016,” reads the letter.

IEBC had detected some irregular transfer of votes in the election body’s electronic register sometime back in May initiating investigations.

An internal memo dated May 25, 2022 drawn by the commission’s CEO to the county elections managers and senior election officers also copied to the chairman revealed the concerns of the commission in its preliminary review of the register which found that some transfer of votes was effected without the required statutory forms.

In the letter, the commission directed the election officers to treat the issue as a matter of priority and immediately reverse all transfers that were not supported by any documentation.

Without disclosing the total number of affected voters, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati at a press conference pledged to have the matter investigated.

As per the electoral laws, transfers happen when a voter requests and there is a form to fill which then the registration officer has to update the register.

“Cases of transfers without one’s knowledge shall be investigated and the commission has called for all transfer forms. If there are such cases they will be returned back and if an officer was involved in the illegal transfer then stern action will be taken, the commission will not tolerate that,” Mr Chebukati said then.