FILE – Members of Kenya’s ruling Jubilee coalition carry a banner as they demonstrate in support of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) the electoral body ahead of next year’s election in Nairobi, Kenya, June 8, 2016.

Kenya’s Biometric Technology Could Delay Election Preps

NAIROBI — 

Kenya’s Electoral Commission says political wrangles and tension related to biometric voter technology may delay preparations for the country’s upcoming elections. The opposition is threatening protests over a proposed amendment to Kenya’s electoral law.

Kenya’s Senate legal committee is reviewing public comments about a controversial amendment to the electoral law the lower House passed late last month.

The bill would allow manual voting and also allow the commission to manually submit election results in case biometric voter technology fails during the August election.

Electoral commissioners said they requested the amendment because they do not want to lock out some voters who might not be identified by the biometric registration kits.

Former Council of Governors chairman, Bomet County Governor Isaac Rutto told the Senate legal committee the manual system could be manipulated.

“Out there Kenyans want just fairness. They are not interested in the tyranny of your numbers inside the houses. The real issue is the voters who do not turn up and ended up voting for them manually, identifying them manually,” said Rutto.READ MORE

Source:http://www.voanews.com/