Miguna Miguna the exiled Kenyan lawyer who administered oath office to opposition leader Raila Odinga in a mock ceremony as president as Kenya’s has joined in the many Kenyans living in Canada to register as a voter or change their particulars ahead of August 9 polls.
“I attended at the IEBC’s Mobile Station in Toronto and made sure I am on the voters’ register,” Miguna stated who is popularly as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) General.
Miguna worked as Raila’s advisor when the opposition leader was the Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition government was forcibly sent to exile in Canada and his attepts of returning to Kenya has been made by the Kenyan government which has been blocking his re-entry to the country.
The registration exercise took place in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
IEBC also acknowledged Miguna’s visit to the Kenya High Commission office.
“Miguna Miguna was among the many Kenyans living in Canada, who visited Kenya High Commission office and Consulates to register as a voter, change particulars or transfer their voting station from Kenya to Canada.”
The commission commenced Diaspora voter registration on January 21 at Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates.
According to IEBC, only 163 new Diaspora voters were enlisted on the first week with 184 requests for transfer and 136 applications for change of particulars
Kenyans in the diaspora had asked IEBC to extend the deadline for voter registration from 15 days to at least six weeks.
In a statement, the Kenya Diaspora Alliance (KDA), which consists of 46 Kenyan diaspora organizations around the globe, faulted IEBC for giving 15 days to Kenyans in the diaspora to register as voters, yet other citizens in Kenya have been given 3 weeks.
“This discrepancy in the time limits denies Kenyans in the diaspora a fair opportunity to register in their numbers,” the KDA said
The alliance also said that some of the diaspora quarters now listed for registration cover large areas spanning states, counties and continents.
This means that Kenyans who wish to vote must travel long distances to register as a voter.
COMMENTS