• During a meeting with the agency on Wednesday, Raila wanted to know why IEBC was reluctant to use of manual voters register.
•IEBC said they will not provide hard copy voters registers to polling stations and insisted on using electronic system.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga has raised a number of issues with the IEBC which he wants addressed before the August 9 polls.
During a meeting with the agency on Wednesday, Raila wanted to know why IEBC was reluctant to use of manual voters register.
IEBC said they will not provide hard copy voters registers to polling stations and insisted on using electronic system.
But lawyer Paul Mwangi argued that this was against the Elections Act.
He said that the law requires the commission to have the manual voter register as a secondary voter identification system in the event that the electronic system fails.
"The insistence is not that you don't use technology. Use all the systems that have been described but the law requires you to have that system in place whether it will be used or not," Mwangi said.
National chief agent Saitabao ole Kanchory said IEBC is legally obliged to use printed register by dint of Section 44 (a) of the Elections Act.
"It's a complementary mechanism but it's also a safety mechanism," Kanchory said.
"It's our position that for the election to be free and fair, the law must be upheld to the latter. We are concerned that if the law is not upheld then anyone can go to court if the printed register is not used," Kanchory said.
Others issues raised by the Azimio team are the provision of list of all polling stations, ballot papers design and printing location and the number of Kiems kits to be used and their serial numbers.
The team also questioned why ten of the 47 county election managers are from one tribe.
They also want to be provided with a certified copy of the voters register, a description of how SD cards will be loaded on the Kiems kits, Geo fencing and where the commission has set up its command centre.
Other than the above concerns, the Azimio camp also sought to know which factory will print ballot papers for the general election.
IEBC said it will respond to all the technical issues raised by the Azimio team and other presidential candidates next week.
Deputy President William Ruto, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential candidate also raised his concerns.
Chairman Wafula Chebukati said a team has been dedicated to prepare responses on all the issues at the forum early next month.
"The issue of the register, the register will be shared with stakeholders, broken down up to the polling stations," Chebukati said.
He said that a date will be set for all the presidential candidates to visit the factory that will print the ballot papers in the coming days.
"Dates will be given when the team is going. Unfortunately we don't have a budget to finance the stakeholders so we shall ask you to look into your kitty," Chebukati said.
He however said that the commission will facilitate acquisition of visas for those to travel.
Meanwhile, the IEBC boss called on the candidates to uphold decorum during campaigns saying they are competitors not enemies.
"So far I'm happy that the presidential candidates have behaved well except for a few incidents we have witnessed. Please avoid those incidents of violence," he said.