•ELOG castigated the commission citing its consistent failure to meet their daily target of 550 records per day.
Image: PSCU
Poll experts have raised concerns of the slow pace with which the IEBC is verifying the 4.2 million signatures backing the BBI bill.
The Elections Observation Group (Elog) castigated the commission citing its consistent failure to meet their daily target of 550 records per day.
Taking cue from the IEBC January 8 update, the election observation group said the 544,624 records captured by then translated to a daily work rate of 340 records, 210 records below the daily target.
“The Commission should provide a more attainable and realistic target in case the initial target of 550 daily is not achievable,” Elog said in a statement.
Chairperson National Steering Committee Regina Opondo and National Coordinator Mulle Musau said that setting realistic targets will provide the stakeholders enough time to readjust their expectations.
“It helps in addressing suspicion and fears that come with delays in the process of verification,” the Elog bosses said.
They asked the commission “to hasten the process of verification to avert any speculation that would continue to spark political reactions.”
The team is also alarmed by the intermittent breakdown in internet connectivity at the Bomas of Kenya which is housing the 400 clerks conducting the verification.
Elog equally has an issue with the IEBC's messaging citing the ‘Burning Bridges’ tweet, and the wrong date in the commission's January 8 update.
Saying the errors do not augur well with the public and other stakeholders, Elog implored the commission "to exercise accuracy and due diligence in all its public communication."
On the internet connectivity issue, the observers asked the IEBC to keep in place measures that ensures that data capture and verification processes go on uninterrupted.
BBI secretariat co-chairman Junet Mohamed recently raised the concerns of IEBC’s pace of work accusing the electoral body of sabotaging the BBI.
The secretariat said they would be uncomfortable if the IEBC doesn’t conclude the process by January 31, barely 10 day away. They threatened public protests against the commission.
ODM chairman John Mbadi said the commission was taking unnecessarily long to conclude the signature verification.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati dismissed the assertions saying they were up to the task and would deliver the signatures in no time.
He assured all stakeholders and the general public that the IEBC was committed to ensuring the verification is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner.
The commission earlier attributed the intermittent internet connectivity challenges to system upgrade of the bandwidth and power outages.
Chebukati said the issue was formally brought to the attention of Bomas of Kenya management for quick action and the same addressed.
Realistic targets help in addressing suspicion and fears that come with delays in the process of verificationElog
Elog however holds that IEBC stands to do better further pointing out the sorry state of the room where the clerks are conducting the verification.
They observed that the venue lacks proper ventilation with windows situated very high above the hall of operation.
“Further, the space that houses the 400 clerks with their supervisors is also very constrained hence not possible to observe the 1-meter spacing as recommended under the Covid 19 protocols.”
“The commission should consider expanding the space by providing open-air tents within the premises,” Elog said.
They urged data clerks, Commission staff and observers to continually exercise caution and follow the laid down COVID 19 protocols at all times.