Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has called for an immediate independent audit of Kenya voter register and population database, warning that concerns over data integrity could undermine public trust in future elections.
Muturi, leader of the Democratic Party, raised the alarm following a directive by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission requiring voters registered before 2012 to resubmit biometric details. The move has reignited debate over the accuracy and reliability of the country voter roll.
“The integrity of our electoral process depends entirely on the credibility of the data that underpins it,” Muturi said in a statement. “We cannot proceed with partial measures when serious doubts exist about the accuracy of our national registers.”
His remarks come in the wake of findings by the National Education Management Information System, which identified about 973,000 ghost learners in its database. The discovery has intensified concerns about systemic weaknesses in government data systems.
Observers warn that gaps in data collection, verification and inter-agency coordination could extend beyond education systems to voter registration and population records.
Muturi said the findings highlight deeper governance challenges and called for a comprehensive forensic audit of the population master register. He proposed that independent private firms conduct the review under strict public oversight.
He also urged the electoral commission to refrain from relying on current population data until the audit is completed and its findings made public.
“We must not build our elections on a foundation that may be compromised. Transparency is not optional it is essential for public trust,” he said.
The former Attorney General outlined additional reforms, including early gazettement of polling stations, publication of verifiable polling centre lists and confirmation that all locations physically exist and are accessible.
He further called on Parliament and oversight bodies to supervise the audit process to ensure accountability and independence.
“Any doubt cast upon our national systems must be addressed decisively, transparently and without delay,” Muturi said. “This is about safeguarding democracy and ensuring accountability in the management of public affairs.”
