From: Judy Miriga
Folks,
Up till now, only 41% votes casted have been reported and 59% are still pending with the slow trickling coming to an end. We cannot be convinced that 59% of votes are spoilt. If so, Presidential election between Raila and Uhuru must be repeated to give a proper perspective.
We are concerned of mysterious deathings as voting results begun to trickle in and we are concerned that a proper explanation be made and that they must be properly investigated.
We thank Kenyans for being peaceful and we want to know full report of the voter casted and the rightful winner.
There are great fears that rigging could be in top gear why 59% of votes casted are still being held. It is the voters right that NO winner should be announced before all votes counted with credible report given over what happened to 59% to wind-off any speculations of IEBC rigging or playing faul. IEBC must give satisfying explaination why there is a delay of voter inflow returns with expectation time the delay is expected to be resolved. Any flaws witnessed must be reported and the matter taken to court. We expect IEBC had set a manual back-up just incase machine fails so all machine votes must tally against all odds. If that was not done, for peace to prevail in Kenya, a repeat of the two Presidential candidates must be made as a fundamental crucial concern.
Even after Diasporas being blocked from voting, this election is very emportant to all Kenyans irrespectively and the world.
We would like to know from IEBC how the anomalies that were detected well in advance before elections will be rectified.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Kenneth asks IEBC to clear presidential results
Updated 3 hrs 20 mins ago
Kenya: Eagle Alliance presidential candidate Peter Kenneth has asked IEBC to explain the delays in the tallying of the presidential results.
Kenneth urged the electoral body to clear presidential results saying results they were getting from their field agents were different from what IEBC has.
“The country cannot get out of anxiety mood we are heading to. We are getting real time results that differ with IEBC”, said Kenneth.
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IEBC Releases Final Voter Registration Tally
By Mwakilishi | Thu, 12/20/2012 11:53AM -0500
The Indeppendent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has released a report of the Kenyans who registered as voters during the registration period that ended on Tuesday, December 18th. The report indicates that a total of 14,337,399 Kenyans registered as voters for the 2013 general elections, representing 79.7% of the 18 million Kenyans IEBC had targeted to register.
The top five counties in turnout were: Nairobi (121.6%), Kiambu (113.7%), Nyeri (110.4%), Lamu (109.5%), and Kirinyaga (106.7%).
The bottom five counties in turnout were: West Pokot (45.1%), Garissa (40%), Wajir (35.7%), Turkana (30.2%), and Mandera (25.3%).
In terms of actual numbers of registered voters, Nairobi County led with a total of 1,778,903 registered voters.
Bett faults IEBC’s provisional results
By Nation Reporter ( email the author)
Posted Tuesday, March 5 2013 at 03:10
ODM National Election Board chairman Franklin Bett has faulted the authenticity of provisional results being issued by IEBC.
Mr Bett claimed IEBC was issuing results from Kajiado County despite voting still proceeding in some polling stations in the region.
He cited Ongata Rongai area where voting was extended beyond the 5pm deadline after logistical failures had led to a late start of the voting process.
“Where are these figures coming from? In Ongata Rongai there are people who are still voting. These are just figures floating on a screen,” said Mr Bett at a press conference held at the Bomas of Kenya tallying centre.
Mr Bett also issued a raft of concerns on the conduct of the elections. These included instances of multiple voting in Kitale, voters being allowed to vote without identification cards in Nakuru and voting process extending to March 5.
“March 05 is not designated as a voting day. We have heard of continued voting in Kimilili, Kitale, Uasin Gishu and Kitale. This is placing the credibility of the process in jeopardy,” said Mr Bett.
Lands Minister James Orengo faulted the use of manual voter registers in some polling stations.
New rules could lead to run-off
By EMMAN OMARI eommari@gmail.com ( email the author)
Posted Tuesday, March 5 2013 at 00:30
If no presidential candidate garners more than half of all votes cast countrywide, a fresh election could be held as early as April 5.
But if there will be a winner declared after yesterday’s poll, the new president-elect will be sworn in on March 26.
In addition to more than half, the Constitution also provides that the candidate must also score 25 per cent in more than half of all counties, meaning in 24 out of the 47 counties.
Sleepless nights
These rules have been giving all the eight presidential candidates sleepless nights including the two front-runners Raila Odinga of Cord and Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee.
Although winning presidential candidates used to satisfy the 25 per cent rule in five out of eight provinces under the old Constitution, none ever mustered more than half of votes cast since the re-introduction of multi-party in 1992.
The provisions under Article 138 in the new Constitution means that if by end of vote count last night the IEBC found all the 14.3 million registered voters turned up, the winner must have received more than 7.15 million and the 25 per cent to be declared president-elect.
This is a herculean task, given the stiff competition in the run-up to yesterday’s poll. Similarly, if only 60 per cent turned up — as is the trend in elections worldwide — it means only 8.58 million voted, meaning the winner should have got more than 4.29 million.
Still, these are difficult figures to achieve, though feasible.
Where there is no winner, Article 138 (5) provides that fresh election be held within 30 days after the previous one — which would leave April 5 as an indicative date.
At the second round, only the first and the second presidential candidates are allowed to vie.
However, if the results show that two candidates tied in votes, only the two will go to the ballot excluding the candidate who came second.
Though it has never happened in Kenya’s presidential elections, a precedent was set in the 2007 elections when two candidates vying for Wajir North Parliamentary seat tied after two recounts forcing a by-election to decide the winner.
Yet, again it is possible in yesterday’s elections given the close run shown in opinion polls pitting Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta.
Every scenario remains a possibility as eyes of all Kenyans are set on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Yes, we have problems with vote tallying, says IEBC boss
By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com and ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com ( email the author)
Posted Wednesday, March 6 2013 at 00:30
In Summary
Poll team will also adjust percentage of tallies to include spoilt votes, a move likely to cut Cord, Jubilee numbers
Commission changes gear and prepares to release final official tallies after computer hitch slows provisional numbers
The electoral team on Tuesday admitted experiencing challenges with its electronic system for transmitting and releasing presidential results.
The commission said it will start releasing official results using the manual forms submitted by constituency returning officers who were on their way to Nairobi by Tuesday.
Mr Isaack Hassan, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, also announced that his team would adjust percentages displayed on its screens at the Bomas of Kenya to reflect percentages of all votes cast and not just valid votes.
This could lead to a reduction of Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta and his Cord flagbearer Raila Odinga’s percentages with possibility that none of them will attain the constitutional threshold probably leading to a run off.
The move immediately triggered protests from Jubilee.
Last night, the Jubilee Coalition said it was surprised by what it said was a demand by Cord for the inclusion of invalid votes to be counted along with the valid as part of the overall tally that would define whether a winning presidential candidate gets the 50 per cent + 1 vote threshold.
“There is no precedent in Kenya or internationally for invalid votes to be counted because, by their very nature, they are invalid. They have never been counted in Kenyan elections before and the IEBC has set strict legal boundaries in place that ensure invalid votes should not be included,” Jubilee said in statement.
The coalition said it had sought clarification on the matter from the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa which concluded that “recounting rejected or invalid votes had no precedent in Africa.’’
Jubilee leaders also asked the electoral commission to urgently rectify “the technical issues” that were affecting the tallying of votes.
“We are especially concerned by the slow progress in collecting votes in Nairobi and Nakuru, but are also aware of problems across the country,’’ the team said.
Political parties were thrown into confusion last night after the electoral commission said it would start announcing official results this morning, hours after the system for making provisional results available malfunctioned.
With the screens showing the provisional results frozen since 5.30pm, Mr Hassan acknowledged at 8.30pm that the system was experiencing difficulties.
“We had aimed for 100 per cent perfection but we have experienced problems on the last day,” Mr Hassan said.
“What is true is that there has been a delay in transmission of results from polling stations,” he said. He also sought to dismiss rumours that the commission did not have a back-up of the data or that its systems had crashed.
He said the commission has been in constant communication with the chief agents of the presidential candidates and had briefed them on the problems the system was encountering.
“What brought us here are the official results and they are coming. The official results will be announced starting tomorrow (Wednesday),” Mr Hassan said.
He said the four screens would be adjusted as the figures come in.
But asked by human rights activist Maina Kiai whether the commission had abandoned the electronic tallying of provisional results and opted for the final tally, Mr Hassan said the electronic system would continue.
“You remember there was a big turnout. The counting and tabulation of the results at the polling stations and then also at the tallying centres has taken long and that’s why we are beginning to see for the first time returning officers arriving late in the night or tomorrow morning,” Mr Hassan said.
Don’t panic, CORD tells supporters
Updated 2 hrs 25 mins ago
By GEOFFREY MOSOKU
Nairobi, Kenya: The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy ( Cord) has appealed to its supporters not to panic following preliminary results which show Jubilee’s Uhuru Kenyatta taking a lead.
At 6PM, Uhuru had garnered 2,726,266 against Cord’s Raila Odinga 2,139, 951 leading to anxiety among the coalition supporters.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said there was no cause for worry saying the preliminary results were just from about a third of the polling centres across the country.
“It is important that we await the outcome of the remaining two thirds of the polling stations in order to make any conclusion about the results of this election,” Kalonzo said.
While urging for calm, the VP said in any case, results from Cord strongholds were yet to trickle in adding that results from their stronghold stood at about 10 percent while those of Jubilee were average of 40 percent.
Kalonzo taunted the jubilee rivals for what he termed as premature celebrations while exuding confidence that their coalition will pull a comeback and stage their rivals lead once results from their strongholds are recorded.
“We note with worry that there are those amongst our competitors who have not resisted the temptation to engage in premature celebrations that are neither based on data nor fact,” the VP said.
“Consequently, we appeal for calm and call on our supporters to relax because we are confident that after all the votes are in, Cord will carry the day. Results from our strongholds are yet to be made public and once they are, things will change dramatically,” Kalonzo told reporters at the Serena hotel Tuesday evening.
He was accompanied by Cord leaders Franklin Bett, Anyang Nyong’o and James Orengo.
Cord also announced that they had raised concerns over delays in the process of releasing the poll results by the electoral commission especially in areas as close as Nairobi County.
“We have raised the matter with the electoral commission and Safaricom, the service provider who have explained to us their capacity to relay results from areas closer to the city like Kiambu is much faster than far flung areas like Garissa,” said the VP.
Kalonzo said they had written to IEBC to express their concerns and were seeking assurance that the system will be up and running.
“We have forwarded our concerns and hope that they will deal with them expeditiously and transparently,” he said.
Cord has also said they are ready to concede defeat if they lose in a fair and free contest.
“I think we have said severally and our presidential candidate Raila Odinga has reiterated his willingness to concede defeat if beaten ina fair contest. Our competitors have also said the same,” Kalonzo said.
Nairobi, KENYA: About 41 per cent (13,252) of the country’s 31,982 polling stations have reported provisional results for the presidential race as at 4.45pm EAT.
Please note the numbers below are PROVISIONAL or INTERIM TALLIES from results submitted electronically directly from polling stations to the IEBC national tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya.
Figures that show the presidential vote by constituency and county will be available later. Official results will be announced by IEBC later upon receipt and confirmation of forms signed by party agents and election officials at voting/tallying centres.
9:10: Uhuru Kenyatta (JUBILEE) 2,772,286
Raila Odinga (CORD) 2,182, 408
9.00: Uhuru Kenyatta (JUBILEE) 2,721,097
Raila Odinga (CORD) 2,179,833
5.44:Uhuru Kenyatta (JUBILEE) 2,723,625 (53.49%)
Raila Odinga (CORD) 2,138,206 (41.99)
5.30: Uhuru Kenyatta (JUBILEE) 2,718,445
Raila Odinga (CORD) 2,133,573
One injured in Eastleigh blast
Updated 42 mins ago
By Cyrus Ombati
Nairobi, Kenya: At least one person has been injured in an explosion in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area.
The Tuesday night blast occured along Muratina road near a church where other explosions had occured last year.
Police say preliminary findings show that a grenade was hurled into a shop injuring a woman.
The injured woman has been rushed to Guru Nanak hospital for treatment.
Bomb experts are at the scene.
IEBC: There is delay in results transmission
Updated 34 mins ago
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ( IEBC) has refuted claims of a server crash at the tallying centre.
In a press conference, IEBC chair Isaack Hassan said there were delays in transmission of results from polling centres by returning ofiicers.
He added that they will resort to manual tallying due to the challenges they were experiencing.
The electoral body chair also appealed to all aspirants especially presidential candidates to remain calm and allow the commission to announce results.
“We would like to request Kenyans and mostly the presidential candidates to remain calm as we await the final announcement of results”, said Hassan.
He further said they will start announcing official results from tomorrow after electronic transmitters experienced delays.
OCS collapses and dies in tallying centre
Updated 2 hrs 52 mins ago
By Patrick Kibet
Kuresoi, Kenya: Sombre mood engulfed Kuresoi North tallying centre after a senior officer from Kuresoi collapsed and died.
Kuresoi OCPD David Wambui confirmed the incident saying that the officer died at Mau Summit tallying centre.
He did not identify the officer since his family had not been informed about the sudden death.
“Am saddened by the death of the officer while on duty. The officer did not inform us of any health problem,”said OCPD.
Party agents and election observers joined police in grieving the death of the Kuresoi OCS.
The OCS collapsed at the tallying centre as ballot boxes were being offloaded and was taken to St Joseph nursing home in Molo where he was pronounced death on arrival.
Officer shoots dead poll official
Updated 8 hrs 28 mins ago
By Boniface Gikandi
Murang’a, Kenya: A policeman accidentally shot dead a Presiding Officer while they were transporting ballot boxes to Kangema tallying centre in Murang’a County.
The two were in the same vehicle when the officer’s gun went off killing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officer on the spot.
Murang’a North OCPD Chris Mushimba said the deceased was one of the Presiding Officers at Ichichi Polling Station.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident was an accident,” he said.
Policeman commits suicide at tallying centre
Updated 5 hrs 13 mins ago
By Robert Nyasato
Kisii, Kenya: Panic gripped Masimba Social Hall after an Administration Policeman shot himself dead while tallying for the Nyaribari Masaba constituency, Kisii County was underway on Monday.
There was anxiety when residents and election officials at the centre heard gunshots at around noon.
Karua faults IEBC on defective BVR kits
Updated Tuesday, March 05 2013 at 00:00 GMT+3
By Munene Kamau
KENYA: Narc-Kenya presidential candidate Martha Karua has criticised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ( IEBC) for providing malfunctioning Biometric Voter Registers (BVR) in Kirinyaga County.
Ms Karua wondered why the commission had provided faulty machines, which forced election officials at her Mugumo Primary School polling station to resort to use of manual registers.
Speaking to the Press moments after casting her ballot outside the station, Karua noted voting was delayed for more than half an hour. “After waiting for half an hour due to the technical hitch the BVR machines have experienced, I have finally cast my vote,” she said. The presidential candidate also reiterated that whatever the outcome of the results, she will still remain a Kenyan.
Human rights body alleges anomalies, calls for repeat polls
Updated Tuesday, March 05 2013 at 01:05 GMT+3
KNCHR has raised concern that there were irregularities in some places and security threats
By Ally Jamah
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights wants repeat elections in three constituencies, Kilifi North, Kesses, and Changamwe saying polling was chaotic in those areas.
Speaking yesterday evening as voting closed, the commission recommended that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ( IEBC) take the drastic step to ensure that the will of the people is accurately reflected at the ballot.
In Kesses, there were no lids for the presidential ballot boxes and the boxes for the member of the National Assembly were missing, said KNCHR’s Deputy Commission Secretary Evelyn Samba. She said the lids were later improvised.
KNCHR has raised concern about the secure mobile phones provided by the IEBC to relay election results, saying some are not working, leaving returning officers to use ordinary SIM cards for the exercise and raising doubts on the security of the critical data.
The commission cited Kesses and Ainabkoi constituencies in Uasin Gishu County as the most affected, saying that the phones were giving error messages such as: “Username and password do not match” or “You have been suspended from the nerwtork.”
Similar cases were also said to have been noted by KNCHR election monitors at St Theresa’s Tallying Centre in Mathare, Nairobi.
“KNHRC is concerned about the safety and security of the data relayed in this method. It opens up the system for possible abuse,” said Mr Kamanda Mucheke, KNCHR’s senior human rights officer.
Vote counting
“The IEBC has to firmly take charge and correct the anomalies at this crucial stage. This includes conducting counting and tallying professionally and in a secure will-lit environment.”
The Commission expressed its disappointment over the IEBC letting some candidates get away with displaying campaign banners in areas near polling stations, or turning up to vote wearing party items, including former Juja MP William Kabogo.
KNCHR also raised concerns about lamps not working in some constituencies, including Kisumu Central, and said that this could have a negative effect on the counting of votes because it might result in anomalies such as vote stealing.
At the Manyata Car Wash and Kosawa Primary School centres in the constituency, voting was delayed until daybreak yesterday for this reason. However, the human rights body urged voters to remain calm during the counting and tallying period and maximise tolerance and peace despite the anomalies noted in some areas.
Human rights officer Lucas Kimathi said that there was general unpreparedness on the part of the electoral commission in terms of missing materials such as rubber stamps, ink, lids and ballot boxes as well security lapses, unprocedural plucking of ballot papers from booklets by IEBC clerks, name mix ups and late training of IEBC officials.
Siaya County goes ODM six piece
Updated 6 hrs 52 mins ago
By Lawrence Aluru
Siaya: Kenya: Voters in Siaya are returned a largely six piece voting style in favour of ODM and Cord presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Results trickling in showed that even in the hotly contested gubernatorial seat ODM’s Okoth Rasanga was favoured against William Oduol whose nomination was cancelled by the Orange Party. Malick Obama had a platry 235 votes from Alego Usonga constituency votes for governor. Oduol lost to Rsanga in Gem, Ugenya and Ugunja constituencies but won in Alego Usonga by a margin of 6,000 votes.
Oduol started facing challenges when he was stripped of the ODM party ticket at nominations and consequently disqualified alongside Raila’s elder brother Oburu Oginga.
Lands minister James Orengo has attained unassailable lead in the senatorial seat and will win with a landslide estimated to be over 95 percent of the total votes cast. Orengo had 23,433 and Agnes Awuor had 1,414 of votes cast in
The County, which doubles up as the backyard of Raila has, votes being tallied at Siaya Institute of technology.
The only stiff contest so far reported in Alego-Usonga constituency where outgoing MP Edwin Yinda was facing stiff challenge from George Mulwan who decamped from the Orange party but ran on Wiper Democratic ticket. Milwan 13,828 and Yinda 9,173 of votes counted, and Sammy Weya of National Agenda Party 2,518.
Former Maseno University lecturer Mrs Christine Ombaka who is the ODM ticket bearer for Women’s representative in the County has been polling favourable results and is tipped to win with a landslide. She had polled 20,097 votes. She was trailed by Concelia Muga Ondiek od National Agenda party who had 2,828 and Esther Okanga with a patry 429 and Prof Phoebe Nyawalo 403, and Violet omwamba of TNA with 303.
Out-going Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo is set to recapture his seat on an ODM ticket after he was handed the orange ticket in the acrimonius nominations. The latest provisional results showed he was ahead with over 15,000 votes.
In Rarieda Constituency outgoing MP Eng Nicholas Gumbo was enjoying a confortbale leadw while is Ugunja James Opiyo Wandayi was way ahaed on ODM ticket as well as David Ochieng’ in Ugenya constituency on ODM ticket.
In Bondo Constituency Gideon Ochanda was cruising to victory on ODM ticket and had attained unassailable lead by the time of filing this report.
Kimunya sent packing
Updated 3 hrs 1 mins ago
Kenya: Transport Minister Amos Kimunya will be packing his bags and taking transport home after Kipipiri voters showed him the door.
The Jubilee strongman licked his wounds inflicted by newcomer Samuel Gichigi of Alliance Party of Kenya associated with Energy Minister and Meru Senator elect Kiraitu Murungi.
Gichigi polled 18, 958 against Kimunya’s 16, 693 votes.
Kimunya joins Henry Kosgey, Ayiecho Olweny and Sally Kosgey in the list of serving ministers whose political careers have taken a new turn.
EABL workers fail to vote, their IDs mysteriously missing
Updated Monday, March 04 2013 at 16:24 GMT+3
By Cyrus Ombati
Nairobi, Kenya: Eighteen workers of East African Breweries, Nairobi failed to vote Monday after their Identification Documents mysteriously went missing from the main sentry of the factory.
The workers had reported their duties in Ruaraka based factory on Sunday evening and left the IDs at the reception area.
However when they were leaving Monday morning ready for the exercise they realised their IDs were missing out of tens of others.
They reported the matter to Kasarani police station in Nairobi and police moved in and arrested four guards who were on duty.
Nairobi Area police boss Ben Kibue said the four guards were on duty when the documents went missing.
“The workers realised the documents were missing when they were signing out of the factory and we are investigating to know what happened,” said Kibue.
He said the affected workers told them they planned to vote in the exercise but they did not do so because the documents were missing.
Kibue said part of their investigations will spread to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission where they will seek to know if the documents were used to vote.
“If the IDs were used it will be a serious issue because it means there is a lot fraud.’
Kasarani head of CID Valerian Obore said the four guards are expected in court this morning to face various charges.
Obore said they are interrogating the guards to know the whereabouts of the documents. He added the factory management is co-operating well with investigations.
“Some of the victims say they are ashamed going home without the ink on the finger to indicate one has voted,” said police.
A senior manager at the factory said they are taking the issue serious and were also investigating it.
Authorities had asked employers to release their employees to be able to vote in the exercise.
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