The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has ordered investigations into the alleged illegal transfer of voters in Wajir and Garissa counties.
In a letter seen by K24 Digital, Haji directed the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) to probe five employees of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) linked to illegal and irregular registration and transfer of voters to Eldas Constituency in Wajir Couty and the Balambala Constituency in Garissa County.
The officials are Adan Salah, the former ICT Officer Wajir County and current Garissa County ICT officer, Issack Muhumed, the former Returning Officer Eldas Constituency and current Returning Officer for Ijara Constituency and Abdullahi Musa Mohammed, the former Returning Officer Balambala Constituency and current Returning Officer Wajir North Constituency.
Others are Mohammed Maow Abdi, the former Deputy Returning Officer Balambala Constituency and Ali Noor Hussein, Returning Officer Balambala Constituency.
The officers were implicated in the illegal registrations following preliminary investigations conducted by IEBC.
The file was forwarded to the DPP by the commission’s CEO Hussein Marjan.
“The alleged registration and transfers of voters to Eldas Constituency in Wajir County and the Balambala Constituency in Garissa County by the aforementioned IEBC staff is contrary to Sections 3 and 6 of the Election Offences Act, 2016,” Haji said in the letter dated August 4.
“Consequently, pursuant to Section 5(2) (b) of Office of the Director Public Prosecutions Act and Section 21 of the Elections Offences Act, T hereby request you to institute comprehensive investigations into the said allegations and thereafter submit the resultant investigation file for perusal and further directions.”
Illegal transfer of voters
IEBC launched investigations into the alleged illegal transfer of voters in the country in late May following protests from Kenya Kwanza presidential flag bearer William Ruto.
“As a commission, we do not condone such, as it is against the rights of Kenyans under article 38 of the Constitution to be registered to vote in a place of their choice,” IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said.
“Cases of transfers without one’s knowledge shall be investigated. In fact, the commission has called for all the transfer forms which are already with us. If there are such cases, if there is any officer who was involved in such an illegal transfer, stern action will be taken against them,” he added.
