NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 16 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed allegations that the stolen Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVID) laptops and Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits were used in interfering with the August polls.
In a statement, the electoral body’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Marjan Hussein Marjan said the Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVID) laptops which were procured in 2012 for the 2013 general elections have since become obsolete after the commission adopted the Kenya Integrated Election Management Systems (KIEMS).
Marjan elaborated that the 952 Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVID) laptops were not used in the 2017 and 2022 general elections and they were due for disposal.
“Since the devices cannot be used and they are attracting costs in form of storage and security, they have been lined up for disposal after following the due process as guided by the Public Procurement Assets and Disposal Act 2015 and its attendants’ regulations,” he said.
On the 125 Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits that were procured in 2011, the poll agency stated that data stored in the kits is encrypted and therefore they hold minimal risk in interfering with any elections.
“They only contain raw registration data that has not been processed for inclusion in the register of voters, hence minimal risks. Furthermore, data stored in the BVR kits, if any is automatically encrypted by the application system to ensure integrity,” Marjan stated.
The poll body assured that the lost election equipment had not tampered with the 2022 general elections and the subsequent polls.
“Moreover, the commission has fully transited to the use of KIEMS technology in the future registration process, and therefore the lost kits will not interfere with the credibility of the elections and its related process,” the IEBC CEO said.
The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) learned that 125 biometric voter registration (BVR) kits, 952 Electronic Voter Identification (Evid) kits, and 1,325 hard disks, were stolen from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) warehouses ahead of the polls.
The Kisumu County warehouse and Muhoroni, Emuhaya, Karachuonyo, Kajiado North and Nyando constituencies are listed as the areas affected by the theft.
“This loss is so huge that it may have been an inside job. Because how do you steal 952 Evid laptops from one warehouse? Only a Canter (small lorry) can carry such a large number of laptops. I get the feeling that IEBC was not in control,” Mr Mbadi said, adding, “so how safe is an election in this country?”
