IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati has affirmed that security has been provided for all IEBC officials, including returning officers during the polls, “We have been in discussions with the inspector general of police and the security of our staff has been guaranteed, the government through the IG are making arrangements to provide security for our staff and returning officers across the country.”
Speaking during the testing of election results transmission at the Bomas of Kenya, Chebukati said this will enable the elections to go ahead seamlessly, “This will ensure the elections go on without a hitch.”
In a joint statement by the electoral body, Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), Safaricom, Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya, Chebukati said they have contracted the three major Mobile Network Operators in the country to play a vital role in the polls, “The IEBC has contracted three mobile operators to transmit the results of general elections through their networks where they have coverage,” he said.
He said they’ll provide a safe transmission conduit, “The responsibility of MNOs and CAK will be to provide a secure conduit to transmit encrypted results between polling stations and the IEBC data centre.”
He said the country has been divided into zones, with the respective MNOs (Mobile Network Operators), to provide connectivity between KIEMS devices at polling stations and the electoral commission data centre, “IEBC has provided its own independent equipment and servers at both ends of the transmission chain,” he added.
Furthermore, Chebukati said they’re ready for the polls, “We as IEBC pledge that we are ready to give the country a free fair and credible election come the 8th of August.”