Editor's Review

IEBC, the Supreme Court, the petitioners, including Raila, President elect William Ruto and running mates had their agents present

The Judiciary of Kenya has released a report detailing the feedback of a scrutiny of ballot boxes and results of vote recount exercise in 15 polling stations the court ordered recount.

According to report dated September 1, and signed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, it was established that six polling stations did not have Forms 34A. 

During the scrutiny exercise,  IEBC, the Supreme Court, the petitioners, including Raila, President elect William Ruto and running mates had their agents present.

The affected polling stations are Kakamega High School in Kakamega county, Kawaida Primary School and Kamwangi Primary School in Kiambu County,  Chebunyo Primary School, Gorgor School and Kagasik Primary School all in Bomet County.

Supreme Court of Kenya. PHOTO | COURTESY

According to the report, returning officers were cognizant of the anomaly during the vote recount exercise.

"Other returning officers had no explanation for the absence of Form 34 A book 2. They indicated that they had just learnt of the anomaly during the scrutiny," the report stated.

"The Kiambaa constituency returning officer explained that her presiding officer used book 2 because he had spoilt book 1. They, however, did not present the spoilt Form 34A book 1 for the team’s scrutiny, and the Polling Station Diary (PSD) did not indicate that the Form 34A book 2 had been spoilt."

The report also stated that there was no variance in Forms 34A and votes recounted save for one instance when one vote was removed from Raila Odinga and added to William Ruto.

The error was discovered at a polling station in Nandi Hills.

The scrutiny of Forms 34 A also revealed varying figures in the carbonated copies of Forms 34A. That was discovered in 9 poling centres.

Some ballot papers had no unused ballot papers during the recount exercise. This was recorded at Kiheo Primary School in Nayandarua County.

"There was also a difference between the serial number for one ballot box seal when compared to the entry in the Polling Station Diary (PSD)," the registrar wrote. 

The report also revealed that a majority of ballot boxes had been sealed. Some of them however had discrepancies in the serial numbers.