IEBC assures of integrity, security of poll register

IEBC Commissioners led by Chairman Wafula Chebukati addresses a press conference at their head office in Nairobi on Thursday 06/07/17 on the election preparedness.PHOTO.BONIFACE OKENDO

The electoral agency has sought to allay fears over the integrity of the voter register.

The chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati, Thursday said his team was putting in place a foolproof system and assured Kenyans of its readiness to deliver a credible poll next month.

Mr Chebukati was responding to a KPMG audit report that revealed that there were major security loopholes that could be exploited to interfere with the voter roll.

The audit firm pointed out that there are two active default administrator accounts that could be used to access the voter register by unauthorised persons and consequently delete, amend, or add details of the 19.6 million registered voters in the role.

But Chebukati said the commission has addressed most of the concerns raised in the report, stating that there was no cause for alarm that the polls could be rigged through the highlighted loopholes.

The commission said it has hardened its security database for some of its crucial data like details of voters that it said would prevent any cyber attack on its system.

IEBC further said it has established a modern data centre, allaying fears of data loss.

Reputable firms

Further intervention by the commission includes hiring reputable firms to provide technical support in information communication technology (ICT) security as well as enhance partnership with key players in ICT security.

An analysis of the roll revealed that the register is highly susceptible to cyber attacks that could result in 'unavailability of the database' since the commission had yet to instal security measures to prevent such attacks.

"It is important to note that the KPMG audit was carried out on old ICT infrastructure. However, we wish to assure that the commission has acquired new infrastructure for purposes of the General Election. Our role is to ensure that the new infrastructure works for purposes of delivering a credible and transparent process," said Chebukati.

The report further warns that "deceased voters could still cast their ballots" on August 8 should the commission resort to manual voting.