IEBC chairman Wafula Chebikati and CEO Ezra Choliba. They have something to learn from what is happening in Botswana. PHOTO/COURTESY
By PATRICK MAYOYO
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
As the countdown to the August 8, 2017 General Election in Kenya approaches, Bostwana’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has invited the public to try and hack into their Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ahead of the country’s General Election slated for 2019.
With Kenyans raising questions about the preparedness and readiness of the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) electronic voting system, maybe its time for IEBC to borrow a leaf from Botswana’s (IEC).
Botswana’s (IEC) in a notice is inviting the public to go and “touch, feel and hack the Electronic Voting Machine EVM.” The Botswana Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) was been designed and implemented by Bharat Electronics Limited of India.
“The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) with a team of experts from Bharat Electronics Limited of India will conduct a demonstration session on how the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) works on the 18th May 2017 at 08:30hours at Fairground Holdings,” the notice says in part.
The notice adds that the session will be attended by political parties’ representatives, Information Technology (IT) experts, political analysts and academics with expertise on IT, media and civil society.
“The demonstration session will offer an opportunity for those with the know how to disrupt, hack and compromise the secure performance of the machines to do so,” the notice adds.
Gaborone, Botswana’s capital city. PHOTO COURTESY
The Botswana electoral body says all those with the technical capability to hack the Electronic Voting Machine EVM are invited to come forward and register with the Project Coordinating Unit by end of business on Monday 15th May 2017.
SEE THE FULL NOTICE BELOW:
IEC INVITES PUBLIC TO COME TOUCH, FEEL AND HACK THE EVM MACHINES
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) with a team of experts from Bharat Electronics Limited of India will conduct a demonstration session on how the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) works on the 18th May 2017 at 08:30hours at Fairground Holdings.
The session will be attended by Political Parties representatives, Information Technology (IT) experts, Political Analysts and Academics with expertise on IT, Media and Civil Society. The demonstration session will offer an opportunity for those with the know how to disrupt, hack and compromise the secure performance of the machines to do so.
All those with the technical capability to hack the EVM are invited to come forward and register with the Project Coordinating Unit by end of business on Monday 15th May 2017.
For further information, please contact the Electronic Voting Systems (EVS) Project Coordinator, IEC at 3612400.
Regards
Kabelo Hulela
Public Relations Officer
Independent Electoral Commission (Botswana)
Plot 63726, Fairground Office Park
Private Bag 00284, Gaborone, Botswana.
Telephone: +267 3612476 (Direct)
Fax: +267 3190889
Mobile: +267 72628804
Toll Free O800 600 410
Email: kkhulela@gov.bw
www.iec.gov.bw
