The chairperson of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati, has explained that different media houses are displaying different electoral results due to the computation approach they are using.
Addressing the media on Thursday, 11 August 2022, at the Bomas of Kenya at around 12.45pm, Chebukati said all the results are being picked from the IEBC portal but different media houses choose to begin with results from different areas.
“The tallies across the media houses vary, and we appreciate that this may be so because each media house is accessing the public portal of the results forms at different times and each is using its own criteria and sequencing among other factors – including perhaps different amounts of resources deployed,” Chebukati explained.
“There should be no panic about the differences we are seeing on the media screens. The results are from the same public portal; the approach is different,” he added .
The IEBC boss further assured Kenyans that all media houses will have similar results when the Presidential tallying reaches its end, since their data is from a central place.
“The final announcement and declaration of the results will be done by the National Returning Ofiicer (Chebukati) here at Bomas. At the end of the tallying they will be harmonized and will look similar because the results are from the same source. There should be no panic about the difference we are seeing on the media screens,” he said.
Chebukati said the collecting and announcement of results in majority of constituencies is complete while returning officers have started delivering forms 34A’s and 34B’s.
“The Commission has ensured there is 100% availability of the results portal to ensure and guarantee transparency. We are at 99.84%. Out of 46,229 polling stations, we have done 46,156 about 73 remaining,” he said.
Chebukati, however, was unable to commit when the verification process will be finalized. This indicates that the IEBC needs more time to conclude the exercise.
“We shall endeavour to conclude this exercise at the earliest possible time. We ask Kenyans for their patience as we undertake this important exercise,” he said.
This came as results published by Citizen TV at 12.30pm indicated that Raila Odinga so far has a slight lead over closest rival William Ruto. Odinga has 6,423, 283 votes, translating into 49.46% while Ruto has 6,383,933 votes, translating into 49.15%.
According to results published by Daily Nation at 12.30pm, Raila Odinga so far has 51.00% (5,758,422 votes); William Ruto – 48.33% (5,457,115 votes); George Wajackoyah – 0.44% (49,631 votes) and David Waihiga – 0.23% (26,282 votes)
Meanwhile former Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete, who is the Election Observer for EAC, said he is satisfied by the way the 2022 Kenya general election was conducted on polling day.
“The mission takes note of the remarkable improvements made by the IEBC in regards to transparency, preparation and management of the 2022 elections,” he told journalists.
Kikwete says Tuesday’s polls were credible despite misinformation on social media; recommends better communication by IEBC.