The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is set to offer thorough training to its poll officials starting Friday as it aims to rectify mistakes that were made during the August 8 elections.
The commission's chairman Wafula Chebukati on Friday opened the five-day training of the 290 constituency returning officers and an equal number of deputies.
The meticulous, bit-by-bit training which ends on Tuesday, will be conducted at the Safari Park Hotel, the second of five such trainings the IEBC plans to undertake ahead of the fresh presidential elections scheduled for October 26.
IEBC came under heavy criticism in the nullified August polls as Supreme Court pointed out several flaws in the election process that were deemed enough to jeopardise the election outcome.
[caption caption="IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati"]
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This systemic issue is what the agency is trying to cure with the training that has been tailored majorly to correct the mistakes pointed out by the Chief Justice David Maraga-led Supreme court.
“We have made the presidential elections results path clearer, with clear protocols and procedures,” IEBC communications manager said of the planned training.
The electoral body has done away with its 47 county returning officers and their deputies who usually play no role in the process.
According to the training manual, the constituency returning officers will be re-trained on filling of the results declaration forms, polling procedures and the process of securing election materials.
[caption caption="IEBC Officials"]
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Today’s training comes after another that happened two weeks ago and will be followed by training of support electoral trainers in the 47 counties.
A report by the Daily Nation indicated that the support trainers will then train the 40,883 presiding officers and their deputies, after which the over 300,000 polling clerks will be trained.
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