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Kenya elections 2022: Why the count is taking so long Kenya elections: Long wait for Raila Odinga and William Ruto in poll count
(32 minutes later)
Votes were counted at each of the more than 46,000 polling stations and the results were then sent to the national tallying centre Kenyan's electoral head has admitted he feels the process of verifying results from Tuesday's vote is taking too long.
Kenyans still do not know who their next president will be more than 48 hours after polls closed. Wafula Chebukati's comments come nearly three days after polls closed, with the outcome of the presidential election still not known.
Election head Wafula Chebukati has urged people to be patient and not to panic that media houses are releasing differing tallies. He blamed party agents for slowing things down as results sent digitally are matched to paper originals.
Each organisation is making calculations based on its own manual entry of data from more than 46,000 polling stations. Media tallies show the two leading candidates - Raila Odinga and William Ruto - are neck and neck.
But it is only the electoral commission that can declare the winner. But it is only the electoral commission that can declare the winner - and it has seven days to do so.
The media's tallies show that the two leading candidates - Raila Odinga and William Ruto - are neck and neck. Earlier the electoral chief emphasised there was no need to panic when seeing differences in tallying numbers as they would look similar in the end.
"There should be no panic about the differences we are seeing on the media screens. The results are from the same public portal; the approach [of each broadcaster] is different," Mr Chebukati, the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said. "The results are from the same public portal; the approach [of each broadcaster] is different," he explained.
He said at the end of the tallying the results should look "similar". What is happening at the main tallying centre?
Why is it taking so long? This is based at a cultural centre called Bomas in the capital, Nairobi, where officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are busy verifying results.
Teams of journalists working for various outlets are engaged in the laborious task of uploading the figures received from each of the polling stations one-by-one. Each media house is doing it a different speed and choosing the polling stations in a different order. They are comparing photographs of result forms from more than 46,000 polling stations nationwide to physical forms being brought to centre by officials from each of the 290 constituencies.
When it comes to the IEBC, on top of compiling the results, officials need to verify each one - another time consuming task. This is to ensure that the results match.
The head of the electoral commission, Wafula Chebukati, has urged people to be patient This is witnessed by party agents from the main parties, who Mr Chebukati says keep stalling by turning a straightforward exercise into a "forensic" one.
Officials are currently comparing the results the commission received in the form of a photograph from the polling stations with the actual results sheet, which is being hand delivered to the tallying centre in the capital, Nairobi. He said officials should not take more than 15 minutes to verify a result.
This is to ensure that both results match and a key reason why things are taking so long. Counting in some polling stations was also delayed and travel to Nairobi, especially by officials from far-flung areas, could be a further factor in slowing things down
Counting in some polling stations was also delayed and travel to Nairobi, especially by agents from far-flung areas, could be further factors in slowing things down. Verification was also halted for a time on Friday after a scuffle broke out, allegedly involving someone without accreditation seen with a laptop.
How are the media tallies compiled?
Teams of journalists working for various outlets have been engaged in the laborious task of uploading the figures received from each of the polling stations one-by-one.
Each media house is doing it a different speed and choosing the polling stations in a different order.
By Friday morning, local media had slowed down their count - though the reason is not clear, some saying staff were exhausted.
Mr Chebukati said he had hoped media groups would have clubbed together to tally the results, but they had decided to each go it alone.
How are Kenyans feeling?How are Kenyans feeling?
There is a sense of anxiety in the country as disputed elections in the past have led to violence or the whole process being cancelled.There is a sense of anxiety in the country as disputed elections in the past have led to violence or the whole process being cancelled.
Kenya's presidential vote: What scenarios to expect
Kenya's presidential vote: What scenarios to expect
Following the 2007 vote, at least 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes following claims of a stolen election.Following the 2007 vote, at least 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes following claims of a stolen election.
In 2017, huge logistical errors led the Supreme Court to annul the result and order the presidential poll to be re-run. Officials are under pressure to get things right this time. In 2017, huge logistical errors led the Supreme Court to annul the result and order the presidential poll to be re-run.
Officials are under pressure to get things right this time.
The country often grinds to a halt during elections, activities across the country have slowed and schools remain closed at least until next week on Monday. In Nairobi's central business district, the usually busy streets are mostly deserted.The country often grinds to a halt during elections, activities across the country have slowed and schools remain closed at least until next week on Monday. In Nairobi's central business district, the usually busy streets are mostly deserted.
Allegations of election rigging are as old as the country. It was part of politics even before multiparty elections were re-introduced in the 1990s, but the push for free and fair elections has never faltered.Allegations of election rigging are as old as the country. It was part of politics even before multiparty elections were re-introduced in the 1990s, but the push for free and fair elections has never faltered.
After the violence that followed the 2007 election, political parties and activists argued for the use of technology instead of physical registers, which could be easily manipulated, to verify voters.After the violence that followed the 2007 election, political parties and activists argued for the use of technology instead of physical registers, which could be easily manipulated, to verify voters.
This year's election is the third time technology has been used but it has yet to deliver an election that has not been challenged in the courts.This year's election is the third time technology has been used but it has yet to deliver an election that has not been challenged in the courts.
Early reports, however, suggest that the electoral commission may have finally achieve this elusive goal with this election. Meanwhile, a group of top civil servants told reporters on Friday that preparations for a smooth handover of power would get under way as soon as the electoral commission announced the president-elect.
When will we know the result?When will we know the result?
At the pace of the counting is ongoing, the local media is likely to finish tallying provisional results before the end of Friday. It's unclear when the final results will be known, but the electoral commission has started announcing verified counts from the 290 constituencies.
If there is a clear leader of the race, celebrations are likely to break out. If there is a clear leader of the race, celebrations are likely to break out - but only the IEBC can make it official.
However, only the electoral commission can declare a winner after comparing and verifying the results.
The electoral commission has seven days after the election day to declare the result.
To win the presidential race in the first round, a candidate needs:To win the presidential race in the first round, a candidate needs:
more than half of all the votes cast across the countrymore than half of all the votes cast across the country
at least 25% of the votes cast in a minimum of 24 counties.at least 25% of the votes cast in a minimum of 24 counties.
Otherwise voting goes to a second round which by law has to happen by 8 September.Otherwise voting goes to a second round which by law has to happen by 8 September.