Election 2022: IEBC blacklists missing KIEMS kit amid insecurity incidents
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has blacklisted a KIEMS kit which was reported missing during Monday’s dispatch of ballot materials in Marsabit County.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati says the KIEMS kit for Orane Primary School polling station in Moyale Constituency with the code number 010045022607102 was reported missing when the kits were being charged before deployment to the respective polling stations.
“IEBC has backlisted and replaced the missing KIEMS kit. Any activity or data that may originate from the missing kit will be flagged and isolated from the system. The kit will not be useful to anyone. Whoever has stolen it should know that it will not be useful to them because it has been blacklisted,” said Chebukati.
The Commission has also reported gaffes in the dispatch of election materials during the Monday exercise as various polling stations received wrong ballot papers.
Chebukati says among ballots paper pallets which were rerouted include those for Fafi Constituency which were sent to Chuka in Igambe Ngombe Constituency in Tharaka Nithi County.
Ballot pallets for Member of County Assembly for Omua Ward in Machakos County were sent to Kuresoi Constituency, Nakuru County.
Lamu County was also the recipient of wrong ballot paper pallets which were meant for Tiaty Constituency Women Representative Baringo County.
“The commission has since rerouted the ballot paper pallets to their rightful places using air transport contracted to facilitate such emergencies,” he said.
Election 2022: Insecurity
Despite a majorly successful dispatch of voting materials which is being overseen by IEBC’s 465, 606 temporary staff and 150,000 security officers, a handful of insecurity incidents were reported in Turkana County and Mandera County.
The commission says In Turkana County, bandits attacked and burned down homes in a village within Kapedo, Napiton Ward and the displaced population will now vote in three polling stations
IEBC says the returning officer and security team in the ward have recommended that the polling station be conducted in a nearby polling centre and voters will be informed accordingly.
In Mandera County, an unknown number of people burnt down two classrooms in Hareri Primary School which is a gazetted polling station in Khalalio Ward in the Mandera East constituency.
To secure voters of their safety, IEBC says security has been beefed up and polling will proceed as planned within the polling station in the remaining parts not affected.
Election 2022: Electoral malpractices
The process was similarly not devoid of electoral offences as two IEBC presiding officers In Webuye East were allegedly caught by members of the public for “allegedly seeking to commit the offence.”
Chebukati says the two returning officers who were in meeting with a candidate have since been dismissed and replaced with others.
In Webuye West, Bungoma County, a Presiding Officer who allegedly attended a meeting convened by a candidate has also been replaced.
“The commission takes great exception of polling officials who contravene the code of conduct for poll officials and will not hesitate to take stern action against any officials found to be in breach of the code of conduct and the election offences act,’” warned Chebukati.
IEBC is also liaising with security agents in Tharaka Nithi County after electoral materials from its warehouse were destroyed in Igamba Ngombe.
The commission says it has set up a fully-fledged call centre where the officials and the public can call toll-free numbers, 1543 and 1544, to make inquiries and report incidents related to elections.
In the general election slated for Tuesday, August 9, 2022, IEBC has says it has accredited 120,731 domestic and international observers.
Of those accredited, 50,231 are observers and 70,500 are monitors from 872 organizations, 77 of which are international and will be available in all the gazetted 46,229 polling stations.
