Uchaguzi, an online platform that receives news through mobile applications, Twitter feeds, SMSs and emails, will have 150 volunteers monitoring data in Kenya and an additional 100 from outside the country forming eight digital teams during the Kenyan election.
Ushahidi project manager Daudi Were told HumanIPO they are already getting data from various parts of the country.
“From March 2, we will be working 24 hours a day,” Were said. “We are building a team of digital humanitarians.”
He urged the users of the Uchaguzi platform to be specific in reporting issues on the platform.
“Don’t just say there is a riot. Explain how many people and what are they doing,” he said, adding that the location should be specific.
The platform is not about reporting negative situations, with users also able to report positive things happening around them.
Were told HumanIPO once they verify the reported incidences they will liaise with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which is conducting the elections, to pass on important information.
He said the platform may be used to monitor election situations in other countries and to manage data from crises around the world.
