Another development the IIEC has put in place as its term ends next month is the launch for the first time in the country of registration of Diaspora voters in the next few months.
“The Constitution is clear, they too must vote, and we are already liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in mapping out the population of the voters and countries that we will start the programme from,” Mr Hassan said (see interview below).
Law on citizens
The elections body, meanwhile, faces a huge logistical nightmare after the proposed law on citizens granted Kenyans in the Diaspora the right to vote in the 2012 elections.
Mr Hassan and IIEC chief executive officer James Oswago, however, maintained that the elections body had started plans to ensure that the huge Kenyan population in the Diaspora participates in the next elections.
“The Constitution provides for the progressive registration of voters of Kenyans in the Diaspora and the progressive realisation of their right to vote. The commission is well aware of this,” Mr Oswago said.
The draft Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Bill 2011 unveiled on Thursday grants all Kenyans including those holding dual citizenship the right to vote or seek elective positions in the country.
According to former Commissioner of Customs Mumo Matemu who chaired the Task Force that drafted the Bill, many Kenyans living abroad had expressed their wish to secure dual citizenship and participate in the country’s affairs.
The Bill also grants dual citizens the right to vie for posts in political parties, vote in referenda and seek appointment to any public office. However, Kenyans holding dual citizenship cannot be elected as President or deputy President.
According to Section 78 of the Constitution, all Kenyans have a right to apply for dual citizenship except State officers or members of the Kenyan defence forces.
The IIEC has dispatched fact-finding teams to Britain, India and South Africa to study their election models and how they can be applied to the Kenyan situation.
“In Britain alone, there are 250,000 adult Kenyans who are eligible to vote,” Mr Oswago said.
“The question becomes, do you want these people to vote in the presidential and parliamentary election alone, or do they vote for civic candidates? The commission is yet to make a decision on these issues.”
Mr Hassan said that the decision to use manual rather than electronic voting was taken due to time constraints.
“We are not going to vote electronically next year, time is not on our side and we are not likely to manage it in the short time that was remaining,” said Mr Hassan.
Mr Hassan however confirmed that the Electronic Transmission of Results (ETR) method used to transmit results from the constituencies to the national tallying centre would be used during the 2012 polls.
This method, used so successfully during last year’s referendum on the new constitution ensures that results from the constituencies are instantly reflected at the national tallying centre.
Registration of Diaspora voters to start in few months
