Chiloba Explains His Role in August Polls Results Transmission

Former Communications Authority of Keya (CA) Director General Ezra Chiloba,.jpg
Former Communications Authority of Keya (CA) Director General Ezra Chiloba,.jpg
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Communications Authority of Kenya (CA)

Communication Authority of Kenya Director General, Ezra Chiloba, says CA will play the critical role of ensuring connectivity at polling stations level in order to ensure seamless transmission of results in the August 9 General Election.

Speaking on Tuesday, April 19, Chiloba - who served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in 2017 - noted that CA will be at the centre-stage of ensuring the results are transmitted from the polling stations to the Constituency, County and National Tallying Centres without delay.

Chiloba explained that CA will ensure that IEBC chaired by Wafula Chebukati collaborates with telecommunication companies in ensuring the polling stations with poor connectivity are well connected before the election date, noting that his sole role will be to coordinate the entire process.

File photo of Kenyans in a queue waiting to cast their vote in a past election.
Kenyans in a queue waiting to cast their vote in a past election.
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"Our role is to ensure IEBC is working with the telcos to acquire connectivity services that is from 3G to 5G networks," Chiloba stated.

Apart from coordination, Chiloba noted that CA has a vital role in monitoring different media platforms to ensure that they adhere to the programming code during the electioneering period.

Communications Authority will further play a critical role in manning the cyber space. Chiloba noted that during the campaigns and elections period, the authority will monitor the online space on hourly basis to ensure the infrastructure is secure and free from any information that might be considered harmful to the electorates.

"We have a team that monitors the cyberspace on hourly basis to ensure that all risks are highlighted in collaboration with other agencies," Chiloba explained.

To clarify on hitches that may affect election transmission, Chiloba dismissed reports that over 11,000 polling stations have not 3G connectivity.

"The issue of 11,000 polling stations not having connectivity, that was the issue of 2017. If you look at the report for 2017, that's where we were. That meant significant part of the country was not covered by adequate 3G and 4G networks during elections.

"We reached out to IEBC to explain to us why that communication would go out and they said they were actually misquoted. The correct position is that we are talking about less 1,000 polling stations that might have challenges with connectivity but we are still discussing with IEBC to ensure those areas are covered," he noted.

Chiloba further admitted that blunders experienced during the 2017 General Election made him realise that it is essential for IEBC to understand the expectations of all stakeholders in the electoral process.

"One of the lessons I earnt from the 2017 exercise was that it important to understand what is expected and also stakeholders expect from the process and communicate all failures that may occur."

He resigned from the IEBC position after a section of the political divide accused his office of being behind some irregularities experienced during the 2017 polls.

The electoral commission further came under sharp criticism over the issue of servers and online transmission of results. 

But according to Chebukati, the commission is ready to hold a free and fair election exercise.

Communications Authority's Director General  Ezra Chiloba in his office on October 4, 2021.
Communications Authority's Director General Ezra Chiloba in his office on October 4, 2021.
Courtesy CA