Insiders at Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) say there is a possibility that the country’s presidential election do-over could be moved from October 17 to either the 26th or 27th, owing to issues with voting technology. French-supplied voting software known as the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) needs to be reconfigured before voting takes place. It is expected to be used in more than 250 parliamentary, senatorial and gubernatorial petitions filed in numerous Kenyan courts by losing candidates who wish to challenge the election’s victor. Workers at IEBC point out that the 41,883 polling stations throughout Kenya will require at least 42,000 reconfigured kits. In addition to this, there will likely be a need for extra standby kits in case technical issues occur.
French company OT-Morpho, which has been contracted to supply the electronic voting kits, has already indicated that it needs more time.
Kenya’s Supreme Court has meanwhile set a hearing date for September 21 to determine whether losing candidate Ekuru Aukot can also be included in the repeat election.
Aukot was one of six presidential candidates who received a minority of the vote in the August 8 election, in contrast to frontrunners Uhura Kenyatta and Raila Odinga who secured 54 percent and 45 percent respectively and are the only two candidates expected to run in the fresh presidential election.
Full Article: Kenya: Election re-run in doubt amid technology issues and high court hearings | Africa | DW | 18.09.2017.