Voter kits probe goes to France and Canada
PHOTO | FILE An IEBC official using the voter identification equipment at the Bisil Boarding Primary School polling station in Kajiado. Investigations into the failure of electronic kits during the last General Election have been extended to three foreign countries.
What you need to know:
- In France, the detectives will delve into the ability of Safran Morpho to supply the biometric voter registration kits, while in Canada, they will be targeting the Canadian Commercial Corporation that identified the supplier and guaranteed the Sh7.2 billion loan from Standard Chartered Bank London.
- In South Africa, the investigators will seek information from Face Technologies regarding the supply of electronic voter identification devices which largely failed to work on March 4.
Investigations into the failure of electronic kits during the last General Election have been extended to three foreign countries.
It was established Tuesday that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission investigators want to find out the roles played by suppliers of the kits based in France, Canada and South Africa.
Investigators are expected to hand in a report of their findings to vice-chairman Irene Keino and commissioner Ruth Onsongo this week.
In France, the detectives will delve into the ability of Safran Morpho to supply the biometric voter registration kits, while in Canada, they will be targeting the Canadian Commercial Corporation that identified the supplier and guaranteed the Sh7.2 billion loan from Standard Chartered Bank London.
The detectives could also head to London to examine details of an agreement with the bank that provided credit.
In South Africa, the investigators will seek information from Face Technologies regarding the supply of electronic voter identification devices which largely failed to work on March 4.
They will seek to verify if, due to a shortage of time, some of the devices were manufactured in China.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission set a deadline to complete investigations over the next two weeks.
Tuesday, Ms Keino said once completed, the report will be handed to Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko.
The investigations seek to find out why the system failed in reporting the outcome of the elections after about Sh8 billion was spent to buy it.
The investigators, who had camped at the electoral commission’s offices for nearly five weeks, have relocated to their Integrity House headquarters to record statements from senior officials.
Mr Dismas Ong’ondi, the information, communications and technology director at the electoral commission, who warned against the use of voter identification and the results transmission system, has recorded a statement.
IEBC chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan and chief executive James Oswago would be the last to record their statements.
The commission has also launched its own internal audit.
