Facing the panel: Florence Jaoko criticises IEBC for not having her voter records

Advocate Florence Jaoko (pictured) has criticised the IEBC for not having her records as a voter.

She says though she registered and voted at St George’s in 2013 and 2017, the polls agency says it does not have her records. She attributes this to poor management of the voter systems.

The former Kenya National Commission on Human Rights chairperson said she voted electronically and does not understand why the commission does not have her data. 

Jaoko, who has been teaching law for 17 years, is facing the IEBC selection panel for a role as a commissioner.

The panel said although Jaoko stated she is a registered voter, the polls agency does not seem to have her records.

If successful, she says she would ensure the IEBC updated the voter register and informs voters to check on their details.

She said the polls agency needs to clean up voter registers.

"One of its roles is continous updating. There should be no difference in the information in the electronic or the manual system.”

Jaoko went on, adding that the IEBC needs to educate the public as part of its voter education mandate and ensure there is a clear list of missing names and that they have been registered.

To further curb this, she said the polls agency should embrace online services so that voters do not have to travel long distances to verify their status as registered voters.

Meanwhile, Jaoko added that it is the IEBC’s responsibility to ensure there is no voter suppression.

She explained that matters such as language barrier, inaccessibility for persons with disability and distance, are some of the areas the agency needs to look into to ensure all Kenyans can vote.

Her CV indicates she was a member of the taskforce on police reforms and also sat in the implementation committee between 2009 and 2012.

Jaoko says the law allows the IEBC to work closely with the police. She was responding to queries on how to address the issue of the security of IEBC employees especially during the electioneering period.

"IEBC needs to have serious discussions with the national police service to pre-empt any possible security lapses."

This way, she says, the polls agency can predict where insecurity is likely to happen, as well as educate the public on security.

A total of 669 applications were received by the panel for the commissioner posts.

The vacancies arose following the resignation of four commissioners, leaving only chairman Wafula Chebukati, Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu in office.

The seven-member Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel chaired by Dr Elizabeth Muli is sitting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).