The regional vote-transmitting system provided by Safaricom for the Kenyan elections will be secure, and will reduce the possibility of electoral fraud, according to the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) Bob Collymore.
In an interview with HumanIPO, Collymore explains how the system will work and how it will contribute to achieving transparent elections on March 4.
HumanIPO: Will 100 per cent of the regional votes be transmitted via the Safaricom network?
Bob Collymore: We will transmit provisional results for 37/47 counties within the borders of Kenya, where we operate. The IEBC has made arrangements with other suppliers to transmit the rest of the results.
How does this system enhance the integrity and transparency of the vote counting process?
It allows speedy delivery of the results which aides in reducing anxiety and also the possibility of electoral fraud (transmitted in full view of all party agents).
How will Safaricom ensure the network is secure?
We will provide the IEBC a secure pipe. The security of the data remains the responsibility of the IEBC.
Will Safaricom be able to view the results being transmitted?
No. Safaricom will receive the results like everyone else. We cannot access the data running through the pipe (secure APN).
How can Safaricom ensure the results won’t be tampered with while being transmitted?
We have provided a secure pipe for the IEBC to transmit results from polling centre to Tallying Centre(s), Constituency, County and National.
What is the back-up plan in case the system fails?
A manual process exists as a fallback mechanism in the event of a network failure. We will, however, endeavor to ensure it is highly available.
