LSK to probe poll electronic failure

By MANGOA MOSOTA

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has formed a nine-member committee to probe the failure of electronic technology during the March 4 General Election.

LSK Chairman Eric Mutua said the committee will consist of lawyers who are also experts in telecommunications, governance, procurement and elections.

“We want to determine circumstances that led to the alleged failure of the technology used for voter identification and transmission of results,” Mr Mutua said in a press statement yesterday. The probe will start immediately and the committee is expected to finalise findings in 45 days.

The team includes Koki Muli, who is an expert in electoral laws, Maina Kiai (human rights), Stephen Kiptinness and Alice King’ori (telecommunications law experts).

Others are governance expert George Kegoro, Kibe Mungai (election petitions and constitutional law) and Judith Guserwa (procurement law).

Legal scholar Prof Ben Sihanya and Ken Nyaundi — a lawyer who is an expert in information communication technology and electoral law — are also members.

“LSK has a statutory mandate under Section Four of the LSK Act to protect and assist the public in all matters touching, ancillary or incidental to the law,” Mutua said.

The committee is expected to establish whether the electronic gadgets used during the March 4 polls were legally acquired.

“We want to probe whether the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission electronic voter identification devices and electronic transmission systems were properly procured and deployed,” Mutua said.

“We are also interested in determining whether the software supplied for the electronic systems were compatible with IEBC equipment, had warranties and necessary back up,” he added. The committee will also probe whether IEBC staff or any person by omission or commission was negligent or irresponsible for the system failure. We want to determine whether the failure to use the electronic voter identification devices and transmission systems compromised integrity of the presidential elections,” Mutua said.