Duo develops electronic voting system to curb rigging at learning institutions

The system, dubbed MTech, has not only reduced the number of hours students take to vote but has also led to transparency in voting.

Education institutions can use the platform, at a fee, to curb student protests over disputed poll results. In the last six months alone, students from three universities have gone on the rampage, destroying property, after disputed elections.

Mr Thuita notes that all is not lost and that higher learning institutions can still redeem their standing in society by adopting the technology and conduct their elections in a dignified and more transparent manner.

Students at the Meru National Polytechnic have been voting electronically for the last two years using the MTech system. The technology won the best ICT innovation at the National TIVET Innovation and Science Fair in 2015.

“In 2014 there were incidents of students of technical institutes protesting election results. The dean of students approached us requesting for a technological solution to the problem. That is how the MTech voting system was born,” Mr Thuita says.

He says the system contains the voter’s information obtained through the admission register as well as aspirants’ names and images in relation to the positions they seek.

“Prior to the election, we generate a voter’s e-card using the student’s admission details. The e-card contains a username which is the admission number, a password and a PIN. We use a manual register and college ID to confirm whether the holder is a student before entering the polling station,” he explains.

Mr Thuita says once voters log into the system using the username and password, they can access the aspirants’ page.

“After selecting the preferred candidates for the various positions, the voter clicks on the ‘submit’ button. This gives one an option of correcting errors or entering the PIN. Once the PIN is entered, the e-ballot paper is counted by the system. The system logs out automatically,” he says.

The ICT lecturer notes that the system is designed to bar double voting.

“After voting, the voter can only log in to check the results,” he adds.

Mr Thuita says that the switch to electronic voting has significantly saved time and enhanced confidence in the election process at the institution.

He says that more than 100 students were able to vote in one sitting in the last election enabling them to swear in leaders on the same day.

“A student can take a maximum of three minutes to vote for the 14 candidates. Results are available one minute after the polling station has been closed,” Mr Thuita says.

Mr Cosmas Kinoti, the Student Union Prime Minister, says the system has enabled more students to participate in elections.

Late tallying

“During the manual voting we used to vote from 8am to 5pm. Tallying was done late in the evening causing panic among candidates and aspirants. But under electronic voting we start at 10am and by 2pm results are ready,” Mr Kinoti says.

Separately, an attempt to introduce electronic voting in Maseno University last year was rejected by students who argued that the system was open to manipulation.

“Such a system is open to safety and trust issues. The system is properly secured to avert access to results during voting. We ensure the results are published immediately after closing to avoid speculation,” Mr Makori says.

Mr Kinoti affirms that there were fears that the administration could rig in its favourite candidates. Another student leader, Mr Jeremiah Kimathi says they gained confidence in the system after taking part in mock elections.

Meru National Polytechnic Principal Geoffrey Rukunja says the system is part of the institution’s mandate to use innovation to address challenges. “Any electoral process is open to conflicts when there is no confidence in it.

With an objective and independent electronic system we are able to save time and avert chaos,” Mr Rukunja says.

Mr Makori, one of the developers of the system, says other institutions can benefit from the technology at a fee.

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