Why deny Kenyans information that would enable them see the build-up to a win or loss?

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced last week that it will break with tradition and only declare the final presidential vote tally.

That is, it will eschew announcing tallies from the country’s 290 electoral constituencies and just make one big announcement at the tail end.

In my view, a public agent of clarity and transparency runs the risk – inadvertent or deliberate – of turning purveyor of confusion, chaos and opaqueness.

Come with me. The question will be asked, who won? Kenya or Harambee Stars, will come the answer. The next question will certainly be what was the score?

To which the answer may be 2 to nil. Who scored the goals? will likely be next question followed by how was the game?

PRESIDENCY

This last question can be put differently. Did the Stars deserve to win? The outcome is very important; but it is only part of a whole. The other parts of the performance matter.

One is wholly or better informed when one is given the answers to the four questions above.

The outcome is a headline or consequence of a process.

How the outcome came about is part of the info kit and not the pack in entirety. The pack is process plus outcome.

Transparency, therefore, means causing Kenyans to not only know who won the presidency, but also showing them how he won it.

It means Kenyans not only taking part in voting, but also verifying that the figures assigned the losers and winners by IEBC check out.

RESULTS

But IEBC is saying that announcing constituency results in Nairobi is unnecessary duplication. True or false? False.

One, Returning Officers at constituency levels announce results for local audiences and for purposes of transparency and then forward them to IEBC’s national tallying centre.

Kenyans in these constituency centres have no idea what is going on elsewhere and depend on IEBC to bring them up to speed with the latest election developments elsewhere.

Two, the rest of the Kenyan populace has absolutely no role in vote counting and sits back to wait for the results from IEBC.

As is custom, they are expecting the polls umpire to bring them the latest results from around Kenya; as they are wont, they are expecting IEBC to keep them abreast of the contests between presidential candidates and their parties.

PROPAGANDA

Three, while IEBC assures this information will be available online, it bears repeating that most Kenyans rely on word of mouth, radio and television for their information and that many do not have access to internet or possess smart phones.

Of course, TV and radio will not be able to broadcast senatorial or gubernatorial results from all 47 counties, let alone 290 constituencies.

Four, Kenyans confidently declare that AYIBISI imesema (IEBC has announced) or AYIBISI imetangaza (IEBC has announced) or even wee ngoja AYIBISI wachana na propaganda (please wait for IEBC and forget propaganda).

The import of these statements is clear; IEBC owns electoral results or the polls umpire is the voice of poll news.

NASA

Five, what is happening here is that IEBC is distancing itself from possible announcements of presidential results in constituencies that may be made by the National Super Alliance (Nasa) which has threatened to run a parallel vote tallying process and declare its own results as a safeguard against rigging by IEBC.

IEBC is distancing itself from the consequences of such calls also exerting pressure on Nasa and rival Jubilee Party too to remember that only it, and not the competitors in the August 8 General Election, is legally mandated to declare poll results.

But, the fact of the matter is that in the absence of IEBC’s voice, myriad others will emerge with their news of results and cause confusion which could become an electoral tinderbox.

RESULTS

This is a consequence of lack of authentic information which IEBC must prepare itself to own.

If it was duplication it served Kenya well; the only difference now is that constituency results are final and cannot be altered in Nairobi, thanks to a lower court ruling affirmed by a superior court.

It would be unwise of IEBC to deny Kenyans information in order to cock a snook at the courts.

But, strictly, why would IEBC deny Kenyans information that would enable them to see for themselves the build-up to a win or loss for their presidential candidate and, in the process, create suspicion of vote cookery and fakery? Luckily, IEBC’s fate is its hands.

Opanga is a commentator with a bias for politics [email protected]