IEBC begins to scrutinise forms 34A and 34B for presidential results

Chairman IEBC, Wafula Chebukati addresses a press conference at the national tally centre August 9, 2017 in Nairobi. Chebukati says party agents can access forms 34A at Bomas . PHOTO: JOHN MUCHUCHA

Inside Bomas auditorium, eight teams of IEBC staff were yesterday verifying scanned copies of forms 34A and 34B.

Commissioners spread themselves between the groups, occasionally disengaging to pick or make calls, chat with diplomats, agents, observers and respond to journalists' questions. IEBC Commissioner Margaret Wanjala, however, stuck with the verification clerks.

By 6.15pm, NASA officials including ODM Secretary General Agnes Zani and a section of diplomats made rounds at the verification tables. None of their agents or technical people showed up to witness the process as requested by commission chairman Wafula Chebukati.

ODM Deputy Party Leader Hassan Joho termed the provisional results  null and void. Mr Joho said NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga was ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta, according to their own tally.

He confirmed that the commission had given parties a portal to verify results captured in the forms, but complained that it will take longer for them to go through each of the 40,883 forms using one computer.

IEBC commissioners allocated themselves seven to eight counties each to verify forms 34B to speed-up generation of forms 34C.

Religious leaders met the commissioners at the Bomas of Kenya yesterday to discuss credibility concerns raised by Mr Raila and other electoral players.

Under the banner of Multi-Sectoral Forum, the clerics said claims of poll manipulation made by the opposition must be investigated.

National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) General Secretary Peter Karanja said: "We are confident IEBC is working to address the issues and we can confirm that the commission has addressed all the concerns to our satisfaction during our meeting with them."

The leaders urged Kenyans to remain peaceful. "The commission is actively engaging stakeholders to resolve the matter and we asked the parties to use the platform to raise their concerns. We also urge Kenyans to keep the peaceful demeanor because we are confident that the commission and the parties involved would resolve the concerns," he said.

[Moses Nyamori and Nzau Musau]