Election rerun ‘could be delayed over results system’

NAIROBI: Kenya may have to delay a rerun of its presidential election scheduled for next month if the Supreme Court requires the country to host the results-transmission system, the Daily Nation reported.

OT-Morpho, a Paris-based company that provided systems used in last month’s annulled presidential vote, told the Kenya Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission in a letter that moving the system to Kenya from France by Oct 31 would be technically impossible, the Nairobi-based newspaper said.

Penina Nyawira, a Kenya-based spokeswoman for OT-Morpho, said she’s awaiting comment from the company after media inquiries about the letter.

Kenya’s Supreme Court on Sept 1 annulled last month’s vote after finding the commission failed to conduct the ballot in accordance with the constitution and ordered a rerun within 60 days.

The court has until tomorrow to issue its written judgement that is expected to contain detailed reasons for its decision and possible remedies.

The country’s main opposition alliance has called on the French government to investigate Paris-based Safran SA and its relations with electoral officials who it alleged may have “acted in complicity and connived to undermine the will of the people of Kenya”.

Safran sold its digital-security unit in May to Advent International, owner of

Colombes, France-based Oberthur Technologies SA, and the renamed company is called OT-Morpho.

OT-Morpho last Friday rejected the allegations and said an internal audit of its equipment after the court ruling found no foul play.

EPA-EFE Supporters of Raila Odinga, the leader of the National Super Alliance opposition coalition and its presidential candidate, listen to a speech by Mr Odinga during a campaign rally in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday.