Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has called for an urgent independent audit of Kenya’s voter register and population database, raising concerns over the integrity and reliability of national data systems.
Muturi’s remarks follow a directive by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) requiring voters who registered before 2012 to resubmit their biometric details. The move has sparked fresh debate over the credibility of the country’s voter register ahead of future elections.
In a statement, Muturi warned that the integrity of Kenya’s electoral process depends entirely on the accuracy of the data used. He argued that any doubts surrounding national records must be addressed transparently to maintain public confidence.
“The credibility of our elections is anchored on trustworthy data. We cannot proceed when there are legitimate concerns about the accuracy of our national registers,” he said.
His concerns have been amplified by recent findings from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which reportedly identified about 973,000 “ghost learners” within its system. The discovery has raised alarm over possible systemic weaknesses in government databases.
Muturi noted that the presence of such inconsistencies in one system casts doubt on the reliability of others, including voter registration and population records. He warned that failure to address these issues could undermine trust in critical national processes.
To address the concerns, the former AG is proposing a comprehensive forensic audit of the population master register, to be conducted by independent and credible private firms under strict public scrutiny. He also urged the IEBC to refrain from relying on current population data until the audit is completed and findings made public.
In addition, Muturi proposed several reforms aimed at strengthening electoral credibility. These include early gazettement of polling stations, publication of verifiable polling centre lists, and confirmation that all polling stations physically exist and are accessible to voters.
He further called on Parliament and oversight agencies to closely monitor the audit process to ensure accountability and independence.
Muturi emphasised that swift and decisive action is necessary to safeguard Kenya’s democracy. He maintained that transparency in managing public data systems is not optional but essential in restoring public trust.
As debate around voter registration intensifies, his remarks are likely to add pressure on electoral and government institutions to address concerns surrounding data integrity before the next general election.
