Why Kenyans deserve assurance over poll date

The last thing the country wants to grapple with is uncertainty about the August polls. Yet reports from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission does not give a solid assurance.

There has been push and pull between the potential competitors in the August 8 elections- the Jubilee-led government and the Opposition.

The Opposition is opposed to using a manual tallying system. It attributes its successive losses in 2007 and 2013 to a system they claim is susceptible to manipulation.

There is so much at stake during elections that nothing should be left to chance as demonstrated in the aftermath of the disputed 2007 presidential election where the results were violently disputed leading to the death of 1,300 people. Measures to guarantee free and fair elections are therefore not an exception, but the rule.

The credibility of any election is measured against the level of confidence of the voters participating in it: the degree to which they believe in the poll process; from voter registration to actual voting to tallying. That, either solidifies or compromises democracy where the mojority win and the minority graciously accept the loss.

The cancellation of a tender to Gemalto SA Ltd to supply a digital electoral system with the capacity to identify genuine voters and transmit results electronically only days after the Procurement Review Board gave the IEBC the greenlight to purchase it, plays into the hands of those who hold the view that there is an evil plot to either revert to the vilified analogue result transmission mode or simply scuttle the August elections. These are accusations both sides of the political divide have made against each other.

The IEBC must conduct itself in such a manner that it allays any doubts about its commitment, impartiality, and professionalism in managing the polls. It must avoid getting embroiled in political posturing. The perception that the August polls could be postponed is gaining currency. Th IEBC must move with speed to reassure the electorate that everything is on course.