IEBC Chair Chebukati and Chiloba in Bitter Conflict Over Election Results Transmission
IEBC Chair Chebukati and Communication CEO Chiloba in Bitter Conflict Over Election Results Transmission.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Communications Authority are at odds over the transmission of election results in the August 9 elections.
The CA has failed to deliver correct data on network connectivity across the country, according to the IEBC.
IEBC is pointing an accusing finger at the CA led by Director General, Ezra Chiloba over the status of the 3G network coverage in the transmission of election results.
IEBC stated it is yet to establish the said coverage, and hence the network coverage of polling stations nationwide.
IEBC commissioner, Abdi Guliye, faulted the CA over what he termed as “conducting a desktop survey” rather than carrying out a physical mapping exercise of the country.
“We are yet to get actual data in terms of physically verified network coverage from the CA. The desktop analysis may not translate to physical coverage on the ground,” Guliye said.
He added that IEBC was waiting on “promises that the network coverage would be improved.”
Abdi Guliye noted that the absence of physical data on network coverage problematizes the electoral agency’s planning, and puts them at risk of a third presidential election petition.
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IEBC Chair Chebukati and Chiloba ‘Conflict’
Chiloba’s responce
In an interview with The Standard, Chiloba said any physical verification must be done by the IEBC.
“While we are able to advise IEBC on coverage, it is their duty to physically confirm the same since they know where the polling stations are located,” he said.
He explained that the report of the analysis the Communications Authority provided the IEBC is sufficient since geo-mapping does not require them to be physically present for the survey.
“The same way they collected the geo-coordinates, is the same way they could assure themselves based on CA’s analysis. Together with mobile network operators, we were able to analyse the extent of coverage using the ArcGIS software, a standard that cuts across telecoms,” Chiloba stated.
The CA is responsible for mapping network coverage across the country.
After a study based on the geo-coordinates of polling locations supplied by the electoral agency, it notified the IEBC that Kenya’s 3G coverage was at 98 percent.
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