IEBC reverts to manual register in select areas as Azimio protest kits failure

The Kiems kits hitches happened even as IEBC initially remained adamant about not using the manual register to identify voters.

The Star learnt that despite the clear provisions of the law and previous court rulings, the commission reportedly instructed its officials to strictly use the Kiems kit to identify voters.

The officers were also strictly advised that they must obtain approval from headquarters, if they wanted to use the manual register in the event the machines failed.

Roots presidential candidate George Wajackoyah was among the high-profile victims of the kits failure.

Wajackoyah had turned up for the vote at a station in his Matungu backyard but the Kits failed completely. The officials refused to use the manual register, citing a lack of approval from Nairobi.

He expressed his disappointment to reporters, saying the officials had told him to go back home and try later. But it was not just in Matungu.

According to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, “voting [was] delayed in all the 181 polling stations in [the] county because the Kiems kits were not functioning.”

Mostly the elderly were the victims.

He said he had to call IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, as mitigation.

He said the chairman committed to him that the voting time would be extended to ensure the majority cast their votes.

“This is the reason why I question the IEBC's preparedness to hold credible elections. Despite the challenges, I was happy that people woke up early to cast their votes and we're peaceful,” the governor said.

After much hue and cry, the commission succumbed to pressure and allowed manual identification in 154 polling stations spread across four constituencies in Kakamega.

They were Matungu, Malava, Mumias East and Mumias West.

The agency also allowed manual identification in 84 polling stations in Kibwezi West in Makueni county.

The Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party had protested to the commission that kits failure was mostly reported in their strongholds.

“The Raila Odinga presidential campaign is appalled by the large number of Kiems kits that have failed since today morning all over the country," a letter by Raila's campaign lawyer Paul Mwangi to Chebukati read in part.

"Despite the numerous statement of comfort that has come from you personally and from some of your commissioners that technology will not fail on voting day.

“The campaign is also appalled that the vast majority of these failures are occurring in the strongholds of Raila Odinga.”

Mwangi also complained that the commission appeared to have defied a court direction to allow manual registers to be printed and availed in the polling stations for use on a complimentary basis.

They said the IEBC was tittering on the charges of contempt of court.

“Our information is that despite the fact that the Court of Appeal upheld the use of manual registers in the event of a total failure of technology, your electoral officers are receiving information from officers of the commission that manual register shall not be used," Mwangi said.

"Mr Chairman, you and your commissioners are in the process of executing flagrant contempt of court and worse, a heinous electoral offence."

Raila's campaign team demanded an immediate national address by the commission on the technology failures, deployment of manual register in the affected areas and an extension of time for voting.

(Edited by Tabnacha O)

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