Opposition outfit, National Super Alliance (NASA), has questioned the electronic transmission of election results saying that the electoral body has not consulted key stakeholders in the electoral process, particularly political parties.
While acknowledging IEBC’s efforts in fulfilling this requirement by contacting three mobile operators; Safaricom, Airtel and Telcom to support in the electronic transmission of results, NASA now wants the poll body to accommodate the coalition’s views as the preparations proceed.
In a letter to the Wafula Chebukati-led commission, the NASA coalition, through their national campaign committee chairman and co-principal Musalia Mudavadi, wants IEBC to apply to the Communications Authority of Kenya for allocation of numbers unique to each zone with each zone having its own mobile destination code.
“Each polling station should receive an allocation of only one number,” stated NASA.
“All mobile network providers must, in their contracts, clearly state that no more than one sim card shall be provided for the same number.”
“Mobile operators should guarantee and provide to IEBC more encryption in the sim card software that will protect it from hacking.”
While urging the electoral body to act promptly, the coalition further proposed that the commission ensure that all Sim Cards and the associated IMEI’s are registered in accordance with the requirements of Sim Card Registration Regulations from the Communications Authority of Kenya and made available for inspection by all political parties with presidential candidates.
This comes barely three days after NASA flag-bearer Raila Odinga announced that the Opposition has been enjoined in the Court of Appeal case in which the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is seeking to reverse a High Court ruling on the tallying of presidential polls.
The High Court on April 4, 2017 ruled that presidential election results announced at the polling station and constituency levels will be final – a directive that the poll body wants reversed.
NASA has on two occasions vowed to sit out of the August 8 General Election if the IEBC succeeds in its bid to overturn the ruling.
Source: Citizen Digital
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