No poll results delay, IIEC pledges

By Mutinda Mwanzia

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission has assured Kenyans they will have the final referendum results within 48 hours.

The commission says it has mechanisms to ensure the 2007 presidential election results tallying fiasco does not recur.

IIEC Chairman Ahmed Isaack Hassan said they have an election technology to enhance transparency and bridge the time and space between counting and when results are out.

"In the 2007 election, delays in getting results created anxiety and affected the credibility of the outcome," said Mr Hassan.

He said IIEC has made all necessary arrangements to get results from all the 27,000 poling stations within the shortest time possible.

HOME SOLUTION

"Even in areas where rains may affect the process, we have contingency measures to airlift materials and staff," he said.

He said provisional results will be transmitted electronically from the polling stations to the constituency and national tallying centres simultaneously and in real time.

"The transmission system is a homegrown solution specifically developed for that purpose. It uses a low cost mobile devise that connects over a General Packet Radio Service network to a computer at the tallying centre," he added.

He said the phones have been configured that only authorised numbers and devises can communicate through the Dedicated Access Point.

He said 20,000 low cost phones and 210 broadband modems have been deployed to all constituency tallying centres.

He, however, said submission of physical results by the returning officers (form 6 and form 7) still remains as the official and statutory method of receiving the final results.

Hassan said IIEC has provided access for the media to cover the event live from the national tallying centre at Bomas.

"This means most Kenyans will be able to see the results as they hit the big screens at Bomas. The exciting thing is everyone will participate as an election monitor," he said.

He disclosed that 1,234 local and international observers have been accredited to participate in the referendum.