Electronic systems collapse has delayed the counting of votes in the Kenyan elections, with regional election officials told to physically deliver counts to Nairobi.
As Kenyans await the results of the March 4 elections, the process of counting ballots ground to a halt yesterday evening as problems plagued the electronic systems which were meant to facilitate the conveyance of regional poll counts.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was forced to admit technical glitches, and asked that returning officers travel to the counting centre in Nairobi to manually transmit the results of constituency voting.
With voting having closed two days ago, only 40 per cent of votes have been counted thus far due to the delays in the system, prompting rising numbers of complaints by members of the public and political representatives.
Worries are beginning to surface as to the reason behind the delays, with rumours circulating on social media sites suggesting the IEBC systems may have been hacked – although no official statements have been made on the matter – and many voicing concerns the faulty systems may be leaving the voting process open to rigging and misconduct.
Members of the international community, including United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, have urged Kenyans to be patient and to refrain from comments which could stir tensions.
