Kenya’s high court is scheduled to decide, on Monday, whether citizens living outside the country will be eligible to vote at next year’s elections.
An activist group, the Kenyan Diaspora Alliance, asked the jurisdiction to force the nation’s Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IBEC) to allow citizens abroad to register and vote in the election.
A former member of parliament who is now the co-convener of the Kenyan Diaspora Alliance, Shem Ochuodho, wanted the IEBC to make provisions for Kenyans living overseas to cast ballots through electronic voting.
According to Kenya’s Central bank, Kenyan citizens living abroad contributed about $7 billion Kenyan shillings to the economy in 2011. Ochudho outlined that the diaspora’s contribution to the economic growth of Kenya, reinforced the necessity of ensuring the overseas Kenyans can vote.
Speaking about the diaspora in an interview, Ochuodho said,
“They are recognised as Kenyan citizens, and they have as much rights as any other to participate in the electoral process. So, its on that premise that we took this matter to court,”
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