IEBC to buy voter identification gadgets

The electoral commission is in the process of procuring voter identification and election results transmission equipment.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati yesterday said they may opt for direct procurement to ensure the Electronic Voter Identification (EVID) and Result Transmission System (RTS) kits are in place in good time.

Chebukati said the EVIDs will be bought by the end of this month to ensure verification of voters, which begins on May 10 to June 10 is smooth, while the RTS kits will be ready before end of June.

Procurement of the devices has failed twice due to court cases. This is despite the fact the equipment is needed urgently in preparations for the August 8 General Election.

"We will not be ready in time if we follow all these processes. We will therefore not be able to carry out voter identification as planned," said Chebukati who spoke during a National Council of Churches of Kenya Clergy and Elders Consultative Forum yesterday.

He added: "We are racing against time to ensure everything is in place early enough. This will also enable early testing of the equipment to avoid what happened in 2013."

He also cautioned politicians against inciting the public against the commission. "We should consult in case of an issue. If you incite people by saying IEBC is not ready, what do you want them to do? Are you telling them not to come out and vote, yet you want the votes? That we lack certain things does not mean we are not ready," said Chebukati.