IEBC should have removed the location barrier in voter registration

It is frustrating. I had to make a trip across Kenya just to get to my constituency of choice and register as a voter. IEBC should have made it possible for Kenyans to register as voters from wherever they are. If the system is computerized, why not have its workstations recognize the entire database of constituency.


Picture this, if you are in Kawangware but want to vote in Kisumu town, you should be able to walk to the nearby registration center, give your details and ask to be registered in Kisumu. It’s nuts to say that a system that already connects to the national database to check for duplicate registration details, which involves checking on all constituencies, will not be able to do a remote data input. How basic can it get really?


The implementation of the IEBC system is a failure in design. I am not condemning the entire system; I am saying that it does not fulfill a fundamental need. Next time, at a by-election, or the next general election, the IEBC, or whatever will replace it, should consider the fact that the county boast of its technological progress.


I don’t have much to say, other than insist that this is really a pain in the A. Many people, friends and foes continue to express their dissatisfaction as the deadline for registration looms. Perhaps the only person celebration is everyone indirectly. The movement across the country stimulates the economy of the nation and creates jobs. Besides that, the individuals who fail to register at their preferred stations or those who decide to take up the trip really feel shortchanged.
It is important to have an exercise before the actual campaign that should collect feedback from the wanainchi about the design. This should happen before implementation. IEBC should have removed the location barrier in voter registration.a

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