Peter Kaluma raises alarm over Kenya’s voter register
Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has raised serious concerns over the integrity of Kenya’s voter register.
Speaking on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during an interview with a local TV station, Kaluma cited numerous lapses that he believes compromise the credibility of the country’s electoral process.
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The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker highlighted widespread irregularities uncovered during post-election reviews, with particular concern directed at the bloated and unreliable voter roll.
“We discovered very many lapses with our electoral process, but to me, the main one concerns the voter register. There were cases where you get very many dead people, and we were asking the registrar of births and deaths, “Why don’t we just clean them from the records?” he said.
Deceased individuals
According to Kaluma, officials from the Registrar’s office claimed they were never certain or that it was too late to remove deceased individuals from the roll, raising questions about coordination between government departments and the electoral body.
However, more alarming, Kaluma revealed, were cases of multiple registrations involving a single individual, with one extreme example standing out.
“We had very many cases of multiple registrations. I would be scaring you if I told you that we got a case of a single individual registered 17 times. Same photo, same ID number, but different ID serial numbers,” he remarked.
Integrity of past elections
Kaluma’s revelations cast a shadow over the integrity of past elections and raise fresh questions about Kenya’s preparedness for future polls.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has in the past faced criticism for inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the voter register, which observers and stakeholders have long argued must be addressed before any credible election can take place.
His comments come at a time when electoral reforms remain a key demand from both opposition figures and civil society, especially in light of the disputed 2022 general elections and the mounting pressure to ensure transparency ahead of 2027.
Kaluma urged authorities to take urgent corrective measures and ensure that only eligible voters appear in the register, noting that failure to do so undermines the democratic process.
