IEBC will buy new kits ahead of polls
What you need to know:
- Mr Chiloba said batteries of the old devices, whose procurement is the subject of investigations following claims of corruption, have a fixed life-span of five years and will expire just before the 2017 polls.
- During the last elections, the gadgets, which IEBC procured at the last minute, were at the centre of controversy after some failed.
- A South African company, Face Technologies, was contracted to supply the gadgets but sub–contracted a Chinese firm, leading to production of un-serialised equipment with identity and quality concerns.
The electoral commission is set to buy new electronic equipment to identify voters because the current ones will be obsolete days to next year’s elections.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chief executive Ezra Chiloba said his team would dispose of the 34,600 controversial gadgets used in the 2013 General Election.
The equipment would be replaced with a new version of electronic voter identification devices (Evids). Mr Chiloba said batteries of the old devices, whose procurement is the subject of investigations following claims of corruption, have a fixed life-span of five years and will expire just before the 2017 polls.
Several IEBC commissioners and staff are facing investigations over the controversial purchase of the equipment.
“We fear the batteries will not be reliable, that is why we will undertake fresh procurement of new gadgets before the elections next year,” said Mr Chiloba.
He said they plan to buy about 40,000 new high quality Evids with new specifications.
The gadgets are used to store voters’ data and identify them during voting at polling stations.
During the last elections, the gadgets, which IEBC procured at the last minute, were at the centre of controversy after some failed. Also, commission staff had not been taught how to use the equipment and were unable to operate them.
A South African company, Face Technologies, was contracted to supply the gadgets but sub–contracted a Chinese firm, leading to production of un-serialised equipment with identity and quality concerns.
Said Mr Chiloba: “This time, we are going for high quality gadgets and we want them procured on time to check incidents of failure.”
In 2013, each gadget cost US$ 555 (Sh55,500) at the current exchange rate). However, it is not clear how much the new equipment will cost. IEBC has been working towards improving management of its data centre and transmission of results.
“We want to revamp the data centre for efficiency and also review our ICT system to ensure perfect deliveries in the coming polls,” said Mr Chiloba.
But as IEBC prepares for the elections, the opposition is concerned with the security of the equipment. ODM director of elections Junet Mohammed said the party would not accept single-sourcing of services.
