Post-Election Evaluation Report on the March 4Th

POST -ELECTION EVALUATION REPORT ON THE MARCH 4TH 2013 GENERAL ELECTIONS OCTOBER 2014 FOREWORD I am pleased to present the official Post-Election Report of the 2013 General Elections. Perhaps, the perceived delay in the production of the report underscores the fact that a general election is not an event, but a series of several events. This implies that elections are not completed until a series of post- election activities have been finalized including among others, election litigations, re-runs where applicable and reviews by the election management body. These post-election activities have preoccupied IEBC in the past seventeen months and an account of the 2013 elections would not have been complete without bringing these post-election activities on board. The 4th March general election was the first after the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. It was also the first time that the country was holding multiple elections. Although the situation presented a number of challenges, I can say with confidence that the elections were free and fair; and that Kenyans were presented with a credible election result. The Commission introduced a number of innovations in the electoral process, principally in the area of information communication technology. For the first time, the Biometric Voter Registration technology was fully employed in the registration of voters with resounding success. Although some hitches were experienced with the use of Electronic Voter Identification Devices and the Results Transmission System, I can say that by progressively introducing technology in such key areas, it demonstrated some daring on the part of the Commission; but above all the fact that IEBC was prepared to go to all lengths to bring improvements in the electoral processes. The Commission has subsequently employed technology in various post-election By-elections with considerable success thus, raising its mastery of the technology and increasing its confidence. This evaluation process has been undertaken through a series of steps, involving all the stakeholders including Political Parties, Independent Commissions, Civil Society, the Media, Development Partners, eminent resource persons and IEBC Staff. This participatory approach was deliberately adopted by the Commission in order to ensure that the report captures all the salient lessons needed to inform our strategy as we approach the 2017 general elections. By completing this evaluation exercise, the Commission has already embarked on the process of preparing for 2017, which will be implemented in three ii phases namely, the review phase, the planning phase and the implementation phase. This Post-Election evaluation report is a culmination of the review phase whose outcomes include the recommendations of various reports and audits including the IFES Audit Reports on ICT, Voters Register and the Post Election Evaluation Report. The Commission has now embarked on the planning phase that is expected to emerge with a new 5-year strategic plan 2015-2020, and a series of recommendations to the National Assembly on strengthening the legal framework for conducting elections in Kenya. This Evaluation Report is a concise account of the events of the 2013 General Elections. It highlights the key activities, challenges and remedial actions recommended for implementation by the Commission. I consider the recommendations emanating from this process invaluable for informing the Commission‟s strategy as we approach the 2017 General Elections. Conducting the multiple elections over a one-day period was a daunting task that called for the goodwill and unreserved effort of many. In this respect, I must recognize the supportive roles played by the electorate, Political Parties, candidates, the media, temporary poll staff, security forces, Government agencies, schools, Development Partners, Election Observers and the private sector. Lastly, I offer my sincere thanks to the entire IEBC fraternity for rallying together to conduct a successful election. Ahmed Issack Hassan, EBS Chairperson iii Table of Contents FOREWORD ............................................................................................... II TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... IV 1 CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................... 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 2 Mandate of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ................. 2 Organization and Legal Framework of the IEBC ................................................ 3 The Evolution of Elections in Kenya .................................................................. 5 Elections and Elective Positions ........................................................................ 6 Rationale For The Post-Election Evaluation ...................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................ 10 PLANNING FOR THE 2013 GENERAL ELECTIONS ......................................... 10 Planning for Risk Management and Mitigation ................................................ 22 CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................... 24 METHODOLOGY OF THE EVALUATION ......................................................... 24 Introduction ................................................................................................... 24 Design of the Evaluation ................................................................................. 24 Literature Review ............................................................................................ 26 The National Evaluation Workshop ................................................................. 28 External Evaluation Workshops...................................................................... 33 CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................... 35 4.0 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................... 35 Introduction ................................................................................................... 35 Legal Issues on the Boundary Delimitation Process ........................................ 36 Legal Issues on the Registration of Voters ....................................................... 38 Issues Relating to the Principal Register of Voters .......................................... 39 Mapping of Polling Stations ............................................................................ 39 Issues Related to Voter Education and Partnerships ....................................... 40 Nomination of Candidates .............................................................................. 40 Legal Aspects in Information Communication Technology .............................. 41 Investigation and Prosecution ......................................................................... 42 Legal Issues Pertaining to Political Parties ...................................................... 42 Issues Relating to Statutory Polling Forms ..................................................... 43 Jurisdiction of IEBC in Dispute Resolution ..................................................... 43 The Dispute Resolution Process ...................................................................... 44 Litigation ........................................................................................................ 45 iv Presidential Election Petitions ........................................................................ 46 Parliamentary and County Election Petitions .................................................. 47 Arbitration of Disputes arising from Party List Nomination ............................. 47 Arbitration of Disputes arising from the Electoral Code of Conduct ................ 48 Boundary Delimitation ................................................................................... 48 Voter Registration ........................................................................................... 49 Voter Education and Partnership.................................................................... 50 Information Communication Technology ........................................................ 50 Judiciary ........................................................................................................ 51 Political Parties ............................................................................................... 51 Statutory Forms ............................................................................................. 52 Investigation and Prosecution ......................................................................... 52 Nomination Process ........................................................................................ 52 Presidential Election Petitions ........................................................................ 53 CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................... 55 5.0 VOTER EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIP ............................................................ 55 Introduction ................................................................................................... 55 Effectiveness of Voter Education ....................................................................

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