IBM to help set up new vote system

Kenya is seeking the help of a global technology giant in implementing electronic voting.

A delegation of 12 officials from IBM is in the country to help draw up the e-voting master plan that will help the yet-to-be-formed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to shift from the manual voting system.

The visit comes just a day after President Kibaki assented to the IEBC Bill, ensuring that there was a law in place to put in a new agency to manage polls and complete the delimitation of constituency boundaries as prescribed in the new Constitution.

The IBM delegation will be in the country for four months to study the challenges that come with migration from manual to automated service.

Handle security

IBM’s external relations leader for Africa Vera Rosauer said the team would work with Kenya’s ICT board and the Ministry of Information and Communication to “review the transition from current voting procedures, set out standards and governance for an e-voting system”.

The team is also expected to handle security and protocols to be used in setting up the system.

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission has indicated willingness to shift to electronic voting, with last year’s unveiling of the electronic voter registration in 18 constituencies.

IIEC chairman Isaack Hassan estimates that a total shift to e-voter registration for all the 290 constituencies will cost Sh4.5 billion.