NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 6 — Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has called for an immediate freeze on any changes to the voter register, warning that its credibility could be compromised unless a comprehensive forensic audit of the country’s master population register is conducted.In a statement issued Monday, the Democratic Party leader linked his concerns to the recent audit of the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which uncovered approximately 973,000 “ghost learners,” exposing what he described as deep-rooted weaknesses in government-managed data systems.Muturi cautioned that if such large-scale discrepancies could exist in an official education database, the integrity of other interconnected national systems — including those used for electoral planning — could also be at risk.“If such large-scale discrepancies can exist within an official government database, it raises serious questions about the integrity, management and verification of data across all interconnected national systems,” he said.NEMIS, a centralized platform that draws from foundational identity records such as birth registration data, is used to guide education planning and capitation funding.The discovery of irregular entries has been linked to possible financial misappropriation through inflated school funding claims.However, Muturi warned that the implications extend far beyond the education sector, pointing to vulnerabilities in data capture, validation processes, and inter-agency coordination, including with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).He insisted that the credibility of the national population database must be safeguarded against duplication, manipulation, and fraudulent entries, urging the government to immediately commission an independent forensic audit to establish its integrity and restore public confidence.‘Ghost institutions’He said the audit should be conducted transparently by credible private firms and be subject to strict parliamentary oversight to guarantee its independence.Pending the outcome of the audit, Muturi called on the IEBC to refrain from relying on or altering the current voter register. He also urged the electoral body to gazette polling stations early, publish a verifiable list of all polling centres, and ensure each corresponds to a physically existing and accessible location.“This is essential if we are to protect Kenyans from the risks posed by non-existent or ‘ghost’ institutions, as exposed by the NEMIS audit,” he said.Muturi emphasized that any doubts surrounding the integrity of national data systems must be addressed decisively and transparently, warning that Kenya’s democratic stability depends heavily on the reliability of databases underpinning identity, governance, and elections.“We reiterate our commitment to accountability, transparency and the rule of law in the management of public affairs,” he added.