Uncertainty is growing among Nairobi residents after fresh claims that some voter registration details may have been altered without notice, leaving affected individuals assigned to polling stations far from where they live and work.
Leaders from Nairobi County say the reported changes could interfere with voter participation if not corrected early enough, warning that the situation risks shutting out eligible voters in the upcoming General Election.
The issue was brought to attention by Nairobi South Ward MCA and Deputy Minority Leader in the County Assembly Waithera Chege, who addressed residents during an Easter outreach event held in Nairobi South Ward on Friday, where she interacted with the community and shared gifts.
Chege said several voters had reported finding inconsistencies in their registration details, including cases where their assigned voting areas had been moved to other counties without their knowledge.
She pointed out that some of the affected voters had been linked to Garissa County, despite living within Nairobi and having no prior information about any transfer of their registration records.
“We want to tell the IEBC that those whose voter registration was transferred without their knowledge to Garissa need to be guided on how they can transfer it back to Nairobi, because they were not made aware of the changes,” she said.
She further explained that the matter appears to be affecting several parts of the city, with Embakasi Central and Embakasi West identified as some of the areas where residents have raised the most complaints.
According to Chege, many of the individuals affected are people who live and carry out their daily activities in Nairobi, making it necessary for them to vote within the same county where they are registered as residents.
“The most affected constituencies are Embakasi Central and Embakasi West. People have been registered to vote in Garissa and those voters have not been informed. If you live, work and invest in Nairobi, it is only fair that you vote here,” Chege added.
She also raised concern that even some new applicants trying to register as voters within Nairobi were being allocated polling stations outside the county, a situation she said raises doubts about how voter information is being processed by the IEBC.
Chege urged the electoral body to urgently look into the matter and correct any errors that may have occurred, warning that delays in addressing the issue could prevent affected voters from participating in the election.
“We want to ask the IEBC and the government to sort out these erroneous transfers because if they are not resolved in time, these people will not vote,” she said.
She further encouraged Nairobi residents to regularly check and confirm their voter details during the registration and verification process to avoid being caught off guard by any inconsistencies.
The concerns come at a time when voter registration and verification efforts are ongoing across the country as preparations for the next General Election continue, with accuracy of voter records seen as an important part of ensuring a smooth electoral process.
