Results transmission system to be upgraded
An IEBC official displays a KIEMS kit during a simulation process at the Nyeri County IEBC tallying centre at Moi Nyeri Complex on August 2, 2017. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The electoral agency is in the process of upgrading its electronic system to be used in the October 17 repeat presidential elections.
The kits to be used in identifying voters and sending results have already been retrieved from the field, according to a timetable released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Friday.
The Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits were retrieved between September 4 and September 8.
The IEBC is also “enhancing” its Results Transmission and Presentation (RTS) software, in an exercise that started Friday and is set to end on September 15.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS
On its website, the commission describes RTS as a system for transmitting provisional results electronically to an observation centre.
“At the end of voting and when votes have been counted and tallied, the presiding officers enter the data on the signed results sheet (Form 35) into a specially configured mobile phones and transmits the results simultaneous to the election results centres at the constituency, county and national level,” it states.
However, the electronic results, that are displayed on big screens at observation centres and televisions, are provisional.
The IEBC schedule also shows that the process of uploading voter registers into the electronic gadgets will be done on September 22 and the distribution of KIEMS to polling station will be done for eight days starting October 1.
SIMULATION
The electoral body plans to conduct a simulation exercise for the KIEMS on October 10 and 11.
The electoral commission successfully conducted a similar exercise six days to the August 8 elections.
The commission has further set aside 24 days to train staff on the use of the KIEMS, a move aimed at ensuring proper transmission of results.
In a Supreme Court Ruling that nullified the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta, judges pointed out that the electoral body messed up transmission of poll results.
“A decision is hereby issued that the elections held on August 8, were not conducted in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable law. The results are therefore invalid, null and void,” Chief Justice David Maraga said.
