Why President Uhuru must move very fast to arrest rising fears

As the countdown to the August polls builds, anxiety seems to be on the rise.

There is every reason as to why this palpable tension is building especially among key political players. Currently we are faced with an evident lack of faith in IEBC. This must be a major cause for worry not only for politicians but for the country. For one, we are emerging from a history where electoral commissions have been fingered for bungled elections.

Lack of faith in IEBC must not be empty political rhetoric in the campaign trails. Questions over election preparedness must never be seen as an opposition affair only. There is real reason why the President must move to arrest rising fears. The sanctity of an election must not begin at the declaration of the result. The bottom line is key players must sit and thrash all issues around IEBC before the polls. Let it be our national duty to inspire confidence in the upcoming elections.

IEBC Information Technology director Chris Msando told an elections cyber security forum on June 12 that in 2013, technology did not fail but it is people who failed technology. On the election day in 2013, the BVR machines and results transmission system failed. This was blamed on failure to charge the machines, lack of training and poor network coverage. Now the election supervisor says the machines will be fully charged, the employees to handle the machines trained and that network will be improved and in areas with no 3G, satellites will be used.

It is high time IEBC ensured that people will not fail technology again in August. Kenyans want a credible and fair election.

I fully support ODM presidential candidate Raila Odinga for criticising ballot paper tendering and audit report that was awarded to KPMG. I think its high time the electoral commission took a neutral stand on the matter to avoid rising tension in the country. The commission should come out clean on faces behind the tender. Claims of some Jubilee loyalists link to the firm that was awarded the tender will dent the credibility of IEBC and muddy the environment.