Jubilee in court to stop case seeking compel IEBC to publish voter register

Jubilee Party has asked the court to refer a case in which Gladwell Otieno is seeking orders to compel the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to open up the voters’ register for public scrutiny to the Chief Justice.

The ruling party wants the matter to be heard by a three-Judge bench on grounds that issues raised in the petition are of public interest.

However, the AFRICOG founder Gladwell Otieno objected the application saying that Jubilee prayer seeks to delay the matter.

High Court Judge, George Odunga, will rule on the applicant next Monday.

IEBC on its part argued that the petition has to be dismissed on grounds that it is an abuse of the court process.

The polls body has denied that it has refused to provide information sought by AfriCOG insisting that the register of voters which have been verified, certified and published are already configured into IEBC’s tablets/kits for all polling stations across the country.

Otieno wants the polls body stopped from distributing the voters register to returning officers pending the outcome of the suit.

Otieno is asking the court to grant the orders over claims that there are inconsistencies in the voters register in certain regions.

AfriCOG has faulted IEBC for failing to publish the voters register and in so doing poses a threat to the exercise of the right to free, fair and democratic elections.

Gladwell Otieno claims that the commission is required to open up the register 90 days to the election date.

Further, she wants IEBC prohibited from deploying the voters register for use in the general elections before it is subjected to public inspection.