Thursday 10th August Briefing Report - Analysis of Voter and Security Issues in Kenyan Election
Aug 10, 2017
Analysis of Reports Requiring Escalation
Between the 9th and the 10th of August, we received 45 reports that required immediate escalation either to our third-party partners, the IEBC or the police force from across the country. We have successfully verified and published 42 of those reported incidences onto our platform for public review. The highest number of posts that we received were on counting and result issues (19), followed by security issue reports (14) and then polling and administration reports (7). These reports came from citizens who sent them in via SMS and twitter posts where they spoke out about technical irregularities at polling stations, voter registration irregularities, voter integrity irregularities, voting irregularities and reports on the purchasing of voters cards.
Figure 1: Incident Report according to source
We took active steps to address the issues presented, communicating often with the IEBC, and ultimately reported a total of 21 cases that needed their immediate attention. The reports escalated to the IEBC included voters claiming that non-citizens are voting, voter bribery taking place, biometric machines not working, and missing ballot boxes.
Count
Action taken to escalate
Called IEBC
Police intervene
Issue resolved
Under review by supervisors
Other
Nature of the Incident ID
Counting Irregularities
1
0
1
0
Technical Irregularities
4
0
2
0
Mobilisation towards violence
4
0
0
0
Voter assistance irregularities
1
0
1
0
voter registration irregularities
2
0
0
0
Voter Integrity irregularities
4
0
1
0
Violent attacks
0
0
1
1
Riots
0
3
1
0
Voting irregularities
1
1
1
0
Purchasing of voters cards
4
0
0
0
Total
21
4
8
1
11
Figure 1:Region specific Issues Reported
After the initial provisional election results were announced we started to receive reports on citizens mobilization towards violence, violent attacks, riots and demonstrations. These reports indicate that the highest cases of mobilization and violence are currently in Western Kenya region especially in Kisumu and Migori counties. In approximately five cases, police action was immediately required. For example, our observers in the field were able to confirm the buildup of tension at the Kondele roundabout, Kisumu central constituency. The police were informed and promised to take action to calm the tension. We also received a report of support from the Tanzanian police who intervened in the Kuria region, which borders Tanzania, that tension was building after it was alleged that some Tanzanian nationals were registered as voters.
A significant amount of time was spent by our internal team, volunteers and our partners to verify the reports that we received. We were verify before escalating reports by making phone calls to observers on the ground and from the messages we received from our trusted observers.
In collaboration with our partners InfoNET and CRECO and the escalation authorities, we have been informed that at least 9 of the incidences that we verified have been successfully resolved.
Analysis of Reports of Security Issues
Between the 8th and the 9th of August, we analysed a sample of 59 reports specifically on security issues in Nairobi, Kuria, Kakamega and other major towns and cities in the Western Kenya region including Migori, Busia, Kisumu and the North Rift constituency.
Of the 59 reports analysed, 17 are still under review for verification, 19 report on citizen mobilisation towards violence, 8 report on dangerous speech, and 5 report on rumours that instigate violence have also been verified.
Of the 59 reports that we received, 46 were sent in directly through SMS by citizens and 2 from Twitter. The largest amount of reports on violence came from the Western Kenya region from citizens reporting that political party agents were acting in a hostile manner in Kuria East, and that citizens were threatening violence in Kisumu North and Kakamega.
Nairobi has the second largest reports on violence and mobilisation of young people towards violence, with reports coming in about police firing their guns into disperse crowds in Embakasi East and responding to violent actions of over 200 youths in Kibera.
Analysis of Vote Tallying Concerns
Nationwide there has been a growing concern about the vote tallying elections technology challenges. Based on the crowdsourced media reports that we have uploaded onto our platform, it is evident that there is increasing citizen impatience around the country. This has prompted citizens to take to social media and lament the delays in polling stations delivering the “34 A” forms, which are the basis of tabulation of presidential results from every polling station in the country. This form is filled by presiding officers after completion of vote counting, before being transmitted to tallying centers at a constituency and national level. The process of uploading these forms has been slow. The delays have affected tallying of the Presidential results, and such delays have started today to result in parties claiming victory.
Figure 2:Form 34A
Meanwhile we have received significant positive feedback from citizens through SMS, some who express optimism in the election process and their views on its success while others have used our platform as a space to post calls for peace to the entire country.