Embakasi Central Constituency Returning Officer Mr. Justus Mbithi has urged voters in the area to observe electoral laws even as the country approaches the General Elections.
Mbithi has specifically asked the voters against converging at the polling stations after voting in what they call ‘guarding votes’.
In an exclusive phone interview with Ghetto Radio, Mr. Mbithi has said camping at the voting station is likely to trigger unnecessary suspicion of election rigging.
According to the constituency returning officer, the IEBC has all the legal muscles to conduct a free and fair election, adding that there is no need for the candidates to deploy parallel security agents.
“After voting, a voter is required to leave the polling station, because we do not expect people to hang around polling stations after casting their votes leading to unnecessary congestion,”Mbithi said.
Mr Mbithi further noted that they have trained their IEBC clerks and Presiding officers to assist voters with special needs like visual and physical challenges.
In case the voter’s finger print will not be captured biometrically due to physical challenge, the clerks will use the national identity card or passport to verify the eligibility of the voter.
“Sometimes it may be difficult to capture the voter’s biometric data, because of physical deformity, but our clerks are well trained to give assistance. That’s why voters must present a passport or a national identity card before he or she is issued with ballot papers,” Mr. Mbithi added.
In the last two days the IEBC Embakasi Central constituency office has conducted an intensified training to its officials to ensure a seamless flow of the electoral process.
In the constituency warehouse the poll agency has received ballot boxes and equipment for all elective positions, except for the ballot papers that are expected to be received two days before election.
“We are at the tail end of the preparations, we have marked the polling station and received some voting materials except for the ballot papers that we are yet to receive two days to the election,”Mbithi confirmed.
By Rodgers Oduor
