CA: No poll results transmission hitches were reported

What you need to know:

The regulator had directed mobile operators contracted to support IEBC transmission systems to report any failures
Unlike in 2013 where Safaricom was the only telco transmitting results, Telkom and Airtel were also contracted to do it during the August 8 poll.
CA director-general says political statements are likely to jeopardise gains made in the ICT sector and asked politicians to be responsible.

The Communication Authority of Kenya has said no cases of election result transmission failures were reported to them during the August 8 election.

Director General Francis Wangusi said in a statement that the authority had directed mobile operators contracted to support the transmission of systems of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to report any transmission hitches.

Nasa leader Raila Odinga has accused Safaricom #ticker:SCOM of working with a French digital security firm to tilt the August 8 elections outcome in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

READ: Nasa drags Safaricom into poll results transmission row

But chief executive Bob Collymore, in a statement, said they were ready to be investigated by any agency on the role they played in the elections.

Unlike in 2013 where Safaricom was the only telco transmitting results, Telkom and Airtel were also contracted to do it during the August 8 poll.

READ: Airtel, Telkom dropped as Safaricom retained for repeat polls

“The authority is ware that IEBC contracted the three mobile operators to provide a medium of the end-to-end transmission of election result in line with the Election (Technology) Regulation, 2017.

Three regions

“Upon our advice, the country was divided into three zones and each of the three mobile operators was assigned one region to support the transmission systems of the IEBC.

"In each of the three zones, an additional mobile operator was assigned the responsibility of providing back up services in case of technology failure,” Mr Wangusi said.

The director-general stated that political statements are likely to jeopardise gains made in the ICT sector and asked politicians to be responsible.

Mr Wangusi also asked them to report any election malpractices by different players in ICT industry to the relevant law enforcement instead of “engaging in blanket lynching of investors in the sector."

“The country stands to benefit in a big way if the current levels of investment and adoption of ICT are sustained.

"It is therefore the responsibility of all well-meaning Kenyans investors in the sector and to underling public confidence in ICTs,” he said.