Kenya’s electoral body says the technology to be used in this year’s elections will not fail. The opposition is warning of unspecified consequences if elections are rigged for the ruling Jubilee party. Kenya is preparing for its sixth general election in August. Political tensions are high, and fear the country will see a repeat of the deadly violence that followed the 2007 election is growing. But the electoral commission says it is up to the task of delivering a credible election reflecting the will of the people. The commission is still haunted by its handling of the 2013 polls, in which most of the electronic equipment collapsed a few hours into election day.
The head of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, executive officer Ezra Chiloba, says the failures were partly due to the late arrival of the election kits.
“Transferring voter register from the main database to here, it was chaotic. That is why some of the machines were not used in the last general election. But during by-elections we have used these ones, and they work very well,” said Chiloba.
Full Article: Kenya’s Pre-Election Fears Center on Electronic Voting System.
