[Nasa principal Raila Odinga addresses supporters at public baraza in Woodly grounds, Kibera, Nairobi, April 2, 2017. Photo/Raila Odinga/facebook]
Nasa principal Raila Odinga has emphasised that the coalition will have a parallel tallying centre, in the August 8, elections.
He said this will ensure not vote is rigged, by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which is mandated to have the tallying centre, Constitutionally.
During a public baraza in Woodly grounds, Kibera, Nairobi, Raila said he did not trust IEBC 'that much', to allow it conduct the exercise, without Nasa counting its own votes.
"I do not trust IEBC and we will have a parallel tallying centre here in Nairobi. All results announced will be picked by television stations; Citizen, KTN, and NTV stations, for the country to see,'' said the ODM party leader, Sunday.
He was accompanied by his deputy Ali Hassan Joho, area governor Dr Evans Kidero and his deputy Jonathan Mueke.
The Election Laws Amendment Act number 36 of 2016 provides for the announcement of results at 3 levels:
1. A presiding officer at the polling station tallies and promptly announces results and transmits the same to the constituency tallying center and to the national tallying center.
2. The constituency returning officer collates results announced at polling stations in the constituency and announces the results of the Presidential election at the constituency and transmits the same to the national tallying center.
3. The Chairman of the Commission at the national tallying center collates results announced at constituencies and announces the Presidential election results at the national level.
Votes are only counted at the polling station and the announcement made by the presiding officer (who is an officer of the Commission, at the polling station), are official results of the Commission.
''Under the constitution, the Presidential election shall be held at every constituency. A constituency is therefore a basic unit of election and results announced there are final,'' said Odinga.
However, critics say Nasa's move is unconstitutional, and that IEBC is the only institution mandated to have a tallying centre.