Electoral commission should end disenfranchisement of its officials

A new team was appointed to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) last year. With this transition comes a fresh opportunity to reform Kenya's electoral system. One issue that deserves urgent attention is the quiet disenfranchisement of polling officials.

Every election cycle, the IEBC recruits thousands of temporary workers, including polling clerks, presiding officers, returning officers, ICT assistants and logistics personnel. These are the people who make it possible for millions of Kenyans to exercise their democratic right. Yet, election after election, many of them do not get to vote themselves.