The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has expressed serious concerns over the limited time allocated by the Electoral Commission for voter registration and updates in preparation for the 2026 general elections.
With only 21 days set for this crucial process, FDC Party President Patrick Oboi Amuriat argues that the timeline is insufficient for opposition parties and other stakeholders to properly engage and prepare for the elections.
Under the current Electoral Commission roadmap, the updated voters’ register will be open for revisions from January 20 to February 10, 2025. Initially, the process was scheduled from January 3 to 25, 2025, but has been revised with only a slight extension.
Amuriat points out that this timeline, especially for such an important exercise that includes registering new voters and updating existing voter information, is far too short.
“As FDC, we are deeply concerned about the limited time allocated to this critical process,” Amuriat stated.
He stressed that a comprehensive voter registration process should ideally span at least two months to allow for adequate engagement with the public and ensure that all eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote.
Amuriat also criticized the Electoral Commission for its lack of communication and engagement with key stakeholders throughout the electoral process. He highlighted that the Commission’s amendments to the electoral roadmap have been made with minimal consultation with political parties or the public, which could lead to confusion and voter disenfranchisement. One of the key areas of concern is the Commission’s failure to adequately address issues such as voter education, particularly regarding the registration of special interest groups.
“There has been complacency in the system, and we believe that certain political players have colluded with the Electoral Commission to manipulate the voter registration system,” Amuriat warned, recalling incidents of malpractice in past elections, such as the removal of rival candidates’ details from the electoral register, which the FDC strongly opposes.
Furthermore, the FDC leader pointed out that the Electoral Commission has not yet gazetted electoral areas for the 2026 elections, as required by the timeline in the roadmap.
The Commission was supposed to finalize and communicate these areas by the end of November 2024, but this has not been done, further deepening concerns over the Commission’s preparedness.
“The Electoral Commission’s lack of transparency and failure to meet key deadlines raises questions about its commitment to delivering free, fair, and credible elections,” Amuriat added.
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