UDA Sec Gen Hassan Omar’s dead-voter remarks: Can IEBC prevent electoral fraud in 2027?

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Hassan Omar recently sparked debate over Kenya's electoral security by suggesting deceased Kenyans could be coerced into casting votes. Speaking at a political gathering in Mombasa, Omar claimed that the fingerprints of deceased individuals could potentially be used to vote before their funeral.

He urged supporters to mobilize and secure President William Ruto's re-election, stating that voting with deceased people's identities would strengthen the coalition's gains and development prospects. The remarks have raised concerns about Kenya's electoral systems' ability to prevent ineligible individuals, including deceased voters, from influencing the 2027 General Election.

Kenya transitioned from manual to biometric voter registration in 2012 to combat issues such as duplicate registrations. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) uses biometric data for voter identification, making Omar's comments particularly alarming given the reliance on fingerprints for identification. While biometric systems aim to prevent fraud, they are not foolproof and depend on the accuracy of biometric data, matching processes, equipment reliability, and election safeguards.

IEBC's preparations for 2027 include ongoing voter registration and verification efforts. The commission has also introduced an Electoral Risk Management Tool to monitor risks such as misinformation, political tensions, violence, and technology-related threats throughout the electoral cycle. However, the integrity of the voter register remains a contentious issue, with opposition parties likely to scrutinize registration figures and the ruling coalition aiming to validate its support in the official register.