A High Court sitting in Eldoret has issued orders directing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) not to conclude the ongoing Mass Voter Registration exercise.
IEBC has been enlisting voters in the 30-day enhanced exercise that had been scheduled to end on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
The exercise is now set to go on, at least for the next few days, after the Eldoret Court directed that pending hearing and determination of the interpartes for application for the mass voter registration exercise to continue, the voter listing will go on.
Justice Eric Ogolla issued the order on Monday following an application filed by Patrick Cherono, an economic activist who argues that ending the Mass Voter registration exercise will lock out many eligible voters.
Through his lawyer Kira Nabasenge, Cherono told the court that the 30 days that IEBC set aside for the enhanced voter registration exercise were not sufficient hence the need for an extension.
“Upon considering the application dated 1st November 2021, the supporting affidavit sworn by Patrick Toroitich Cherono, the petitioner herein, and the annexures thereto, it is hereby ordered as follows…that the application be and is hereby certified urgent,” read part of the order issued by Justice Ogolla.
“That pending the hearing and determination of the application interpartes, a prohibition order be and is hereby issued prohibiting the 1st respondent Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission or its agents acting under its authority from closing national voter registration exercise slated for closure on 2nd November 2021,” he added.
Interpartes hearing for the application is set for 9th November 2021.
IEBC had targeted to register over 6.5 million new voters under the national exercise which witnessed low voter registration turnout across the county.
