An audit firm engaged by Deputy President Wiliam Ruto has dismissed claims that the President-elect did not garner the requisite 50 per cent plus one votes necessary to be declared a winner in the first round of the August 1 presidential poll.
Through an affidavit signed by its CEO Ashif Kassam, RSM Eastern Africa LLP, a firm of certified accountants which is licensed by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (Icpak) argues that the percentages contained in the table provided by Raila does not add up to 100 per cent but rather 99.024 per cent.
This, the firm argues, is based on the fact that a different denominator was used to calculate the percentage. The firm claims that in the case of Raila, the denominator used is 14,353,200. 198,462 (6,942,930/0.48372). In case of Ruto, it is 14,353, 143.188591 (7,176, 141/0.49997).
It further claims that for David Mwaure the denominator used is 13,343, 946.188341 (31,987/0.00223 and in the case of George Wajackoyah it is 14, 343, 946.188341 (61, 969/0.00432).
"Ideally, one denominator should be used to maintain the mathematical logic in determining percentages. The separate denominators used in the tabulation are manifestly wrong," said kassam in his affidavit in support of Ruto.
Kassam says that in calculating percentages, the baseline or the denominator must be the numerator's sum, in this case, the summation of the numerator 14,213,027. On the question of 50+1 per cent, Kassam argues that the percentage is calculated using the total number of valid votes garnered by an candidate divided by the total valid votes cast multiplied by 100.
"For all the four candidates, the third decimal point was higher than 5, the second decimal was rounded up. This resulted in the overall rounded up total to two decimal places coming to 100.1 per cent.
Kassam says the rounding-off difference does not increase the total number of valid votes cast or the valid votes garnered by an individual candidate and therefore does not affect the final outcome.
"The total number of votes garnered by a candidate by a candidate and the total valid votes cast determines the percentage. The percentage rounding off does not alter the votes cast."
Raymond Kiprotch Bett, who was the lead IT expert for UDA, says the IP address, says Raila has not provided the alleged IEBC address they purport to have used to "dump" the alleged manipulated form 34As reflected in the IEBC portal.
He said that Benson Wasonga' affidavit, which details cases where unauthorised individuals accessed IEBC servers, does not demonstrate or particularise how the alleged staging of Form 34As was done using IP address: http://173.249.40.177/
"Wasonga's affidavit is unfounded as no supporting evidence, material and or image is annexed to justify his attempt to connect the laptop of with any IEBC server or the alleged hacking, staging or dumping.
Eric Katetu, an Information Systems and Data analyst also faulted Wasonga's affidavit arguing that the screenlogs annexed to his affidavit are the same ones that were used in 2017 presidential petition.
The time and dates indicated on Wasonga's six screenshots is August 17, 2022 at 23.15hrs. But Katetu argues that it would be improbable and almost impossible to carry out the task of loading six separate web pages and taking a screenshot of each within the space of 60 seconds.
