According to Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Francis Wanderi, over 260 polling stations have not been fitted with 3G networks for the transmission of results in the August General Election.
“As of 2017, over 10,000 polling stations did not have 3G network. The latest information we have from CA is that slightly more than 260 polling stations are not covered and the CA is working to make sure that they are covered with 3G network,” Wanderi told Citizen TV.
According to an IEBC report released in March, many individuals believe that the lack of 3G mobile network coverage at around 11,000 voting sites could undermine the election process.
The commissioner attributed the lack of 3G network to some cases of insecurity in some parts of the country. He however expressed confidence that IEBC will still forward the GPS location of the said stations to the Communications Authority (CA) for connection.
According to the commissioner, the lack of a 3G network is due to instability in certain areas of the country. He, however, expressed confidence that the IEBC will continue to send the GPS locations of the stations to the Communications Authority (CA) for connection.
“The CA has promised we will get 3G network at all stations however we have a problem in certain security prone areas. Hopefully, all stations will be connected by August,” Wanderi added.
Wanderi reiterated IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati’s assurances that the elections will be free and fair. He went on to say that, despite the fact that the election process is conducted manually, there was no need for tampering during the transmission of election results.
“If you are not in the register you won’t be able to vote or be identified. From there the only other place technology is used is during the transmission and here the election is concluded at the polling station. A form will be signed by the agents and once agents have signed the image of that form will be taken and transmitted,” he said.
“After that has been done the returning officers at the constituency polling stations will deliver the original to the national polling center. So there is no room for manipulation cause once you send the image there is no way you can interfere with that. Our systems do not allow that,” he added.
He also highlighted how the presidential election will be conducted in the diaspora stating the results will be transmitted electronically from the polling stations, which will be set up in Kenyan embassies abroad, upon which the presiding officers at the polling stations will physically deliver the original documents, with the results, to the national tallying center.
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