The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has revealed that voting took place in Kisumu County, contrary to reports that had indicated no voting took place.
During an update from Bomas of Kenya on Saturday, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and Commissioner Abdi Guliye announced that the transmitted results would be treated as valid.
Journalists sought to find out why Kisumu West constituency had transmitted results of 51 votes cast yet the IEBC had called off the election in the county.
[caption caption="IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati during a live update from Bomas of Kenya on October 28"]
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"Yes, there are two constituencies in the counties mentioned where voting has been suspended where actually in some polling stations voting took place, these are Kisumu West and Muhoroni.
"For those areas where there was voting, there will be valid transmissions," Prof Guliye clarified.
The IEBC officials were also charged to explain why there was an apparent disparity between the number of polling stations that were opened for voting and the number of forms 34A that had been transmitted to the national tallying centre.
According to the initial announcement by the IEBC, only 35,564 polling stations had been able to successfully open for voting. However, by Saturday 5 pm, the Commission had received 37,161 forms 34 A, roughly 2,000 more than the number of polling stations that were opened for voting.
"The forms are more than the actual logins from polling stations because when a polling station opens, it registers a certain code on the voters' register and the kit is locked to that polling station.
"It then has five trials to submit the message that it has activated. However, if it fails to send the activation message then it will still transmit numbers of voters who turn out to vote and can even send in images," Prof. Guliye justified.
Mr Chebukati and the Commissioners did not offer an explanation for an apparent increase in the number of registered voters by 91,000 compared to the figures indicated during the August 8 elections.
[caption caption="IEBC Commissioner Professor Abdi Guliye at Bomas of Kenya on October 28 "]
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