IEBC impose new measures to speed up verification process at Bomas of Kenya
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced new measures at the National Tallying Centre in a move aimed at speeding the tallying process of presidential votes.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said it currently takes between 3 to 4 hours to process one returning officer from the 290 constituencies, which means the process would take longer than expected.
This has forced the electoral body boss to issue new directives to speed up the vote tallying process as IEBC targets to beat the Tuesday deadline to announce the winner of the presidential election.
IEBC has seven days to announce the winner of the just-concluded polls as stipulated in the Constitution.
Returning Officers on the queue will now be expected to handover physical forms to the National Returning Officer and then report to the ICT desk for verification of transmitted form 34As against the original physical copies.
Presidential agents will similarly be given results of Form 34As and 34Bs for their own use.
“In the event that you require the original documents, they will be available on the desks for verification,” he added.
Chebukati further revealed 265 Returning Officers have so far reported to the National Tallying Centre with 142 already cleared while 124 are waiting in the queue.
“As a result of this process, some of our Returning Officers have stayed here for three days sitting on those chairs which is totally unacceptable,” Chebukati said.
The electoral body has two more days to beat the seven day deadline.
