Influence Of Institutional Factors On Independent Electoral And Boundaries Commission Voter Registration Performance In Turkana East Constituency, Kenya

Abstract

This study determined the influence of institutional factors on the performance of voter registration of IEBC, Turkana East Constituency, Turkana County Kenya. Specific objectives for the study was to establish the influence use of technology, human resource capacity, availability of transports and funds has on the performance of voter registration in Turkana East Constituency. The study was anchored on the Rational Theory of Voter Turnout and Abraham Maslow‟s of hierarchy needs and reviewed scholarly documents to get related review on literature. The study adopted census as research design which is descriptive in nature, non-bias and it is accurate, convenient for small population and allows capture of qualitative and quantitative data. The study area was Turkana East Constituency, which had 68 registration centres used for registration of voters exercises and 71 polling stations used for polling/counting during election day and a total of 15,620 registered voters. The Target population were temporary and permanent Electoral officials who took and take part in voter registration exercise, which were 148. The Sample size was the same as the target population because all elements of the study were considered. Structured questionnaire and interviews were research instruments used for data collection. A pilot study was conducted to test the validity and reliability of research instruments. Qualitative data was collected using interviews by holding face-to-face interview with CEM, County ICT officer, RO, and DRO. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires by administering them to VRAs and VRCs. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis while quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and presented in tables for easy interpretation. In the findings, 90.3% stated that the use of technology largely influenced the performance of VR. In this regard, the study recommended that the government should partner with the electoral body to ensure procurement of high-quality ICT equipment, recruit competent, qualified and experience staff who used ICT equipment diligently to ensure enhanced voter registration performance.