Nakuru, Nyandarua & Nyeri Counties – Former Attorney General and Cabinet Secretary, Justin Muturi, has called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently restore the voter’s card as the exclusive document for voting, citing shocking cases of vote-buying and electoral malpractice in recent by-elections.
“This past weekend, during our tour of Nakuru, Nyandarua and Nyeri counties, I encountered a moment that left me deeply disturbed,” Muturi said.
Vote-Buying Scandal Rocks Mbeere North By-Election
Muturi recounted an incident in Kiawara where three individuals confessed to illegally casting ballots:
Read: Muturi : Mt. Kenya region needs a strong regional party
“After our final engagement with the people of Kiawara, three individuals approached me and said, ‘Mhesh, pole sana.’ I asked them why they were apologizing. Their response was shocking.
They told me they had travelled to Mbeere North and voted in the recent by-election in favour of the government’s candidate.”
When asked if they were registered voters in Mbeere North, the individuals admitted:
“They said they were not. According to them, they had been facilitated and paid to go there and vote. They admitted they were sorry, but said they did it because they were given money.”
Muturi described the event as a symptom of a deep crisis in governance:
“We are dealing with a rogue leadership in government that shows absolutely no regard for institutions, whether established by the Constitution or otherwise.”
National ID Misuse Raises Electoral Concerns
The former AG also raised alarm over alleged misuse of national identity cards:
“We are now witnessing a worrying trend where Kenyan national identity cards are allegedly being issued to criminals and individuals from outside our borders. This raises a grave risk that such documents could be used to interfere with our elections.”
Muturi emphasized the urgent need for reform:
“Voting must be made strictly exclusive to the voter’s card. National IDs alone should not be sufficient for voting. I therefore call upon the IEBC to urgently restore the use of the voter’s card as the mandatory and exclusive document for voting.”
Protecting Kenya’s Democracy
He concluded with a stern warning about the integrity of Kenya’s elections:
“Kenya’s democracy must never be reduced to a marketplace where votes are bought, transported, and traded. Our elections must remain credible, transparent, and protected from manipulation.”
Political analysts say enforcing voter card-only voting is critical to safeguarding Kenya’s democracy, especially as vote-buying allegations continue to surface across the country.
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Interesting!