[kictanet] Manual Backup and Elections 2017: Is the CS ICT Honest

Fri Dec 30 13:54:14 EAT 2016

I agree. We should put together our submissions as the ICT community and
present the same to bunge.

Victor

On 30 Dec 2016 13:50, "Dorcas Muthoni via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Thanks Walu, it's time for us to stand up.  Let's demystify this tech.
>
> On Dec 30, 2016 1:43 PM, "Walubengo J via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> I think this is an opportunity for the ICT fraternity to take up the
>> challenge and demystify electronic systems in elections.  I believe this
>> forum has the most neutral platform where the media, academia, operators,
>> regulators, government, legal and other interested parties can brainstorm
>> on this.
>>
>> I propose that early in the year,  a face-2-face roundtable TV /Radio
>> broadcast (NTV, Citizen, KTN?) deliberation to break this down -perhaps at
>> Strath University (CPIT are you there?).
>>
>> A lot has been written on the issue of electronic systems in elections
>> but seems nobody READS, least of all politicians from both sides of the
>> divide.  I can imagine a cast of the following:
>>
>> IEBC: CEO or Rep?
>> Regulator: CEO or Rep?
>> Operator: Safcom/Airtel/Telkom?
>> ICT Min: Minister or rep?
>> Academia: MMU/Strath/UoN/?
>> Political Party: Jubilee+CORD Rep?
>> Moderator &Broadcaster: Media (Citizen, NTV,KTN)
>> Convenor: KICTAnet -GG are you back from holiday?
>> Sponsors: Anyone?
>>
>> If we do not hijack this ICT conversation, the politicians will run with
>> it in the wrong direction and we might find ourselves exactly where we were
>> in 2007.
>>
>> walu.
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From:* JImmy Gitonga via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> *To:* jwalu at yahoo.com
>> *Cc:* JImmy Gitonga <jimmygitts at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Friday, December 30, 2016 1:14 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Manual Backup and Elections 2017: Is the CS
>> ICT Honest
>>
>> Thank you Odhiambo Washington,
>>
>> I have the same concerns myself. I reached the conclusion that it would
>> be nice if "ICT Experts" could lay their hands on a BVI machine as well as
>> a and show the rest of us what the problem really is. The ERT issue is a
>> red herring. It has worked flawlessly in the bi-elections that have
>> happened ever since. With PKI and 2 factor authentication, this can be
>> solved for election day.
>>
>> I am sure Victor Kyalo and Joseph Mucheru could make this possible. Call
>> it a "Kenyans as ICT stakeholders" meeting. All Listers with time will
>> begin to be asked by their family or neighbours, what the issue really is.
>> I, for one, do not want to echo the CS's words.
>>
>> I think the CS and the PS should help us help them. Otherwise they will
>> be on their own when the political vultures come calling.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jimmy Gitonga
>>
>>
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2016 11:30:08 +0300
>> From: Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo at gmail.com>
>> To: Kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke >
>> Subject: [kictanet] Manual Backup and Elections 2017: Is the CS ICT
>>         Honest
>> Message-ID:
>>         <CAAdA2WPFoRvjF5Bodk+sHb-P4_ rUp2AXpA9Q3zAk-UR57cqwGw at mail.
>> gmail.com
>> <CAAdA2WPFoRvjF5Bodk%2BsHb-P4_rUp2AXpA9Q3zAk-UR57cqwGw at mail.gmail.com>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>
>> Dear Listers,
>>
>> I am at that position where I feel very lost. In fact, I feel like I am
>> quite detached from the reality.
>>
>> All along, I have keenly considered this matter that seems to have divided
>> the country down the middle: *Manual Backup* during the 2017 voting
>> process. From the Jubilee/govt side this is a do or die and so it must be
>> there. This govt side seems hell-bent on confusing the masses, as well as
>> the experts like the ICT Community. From the Opposition side, the agenda
>> seems to be very clear - that of ensuring integrity of the Voters Register
>> and stopping 'ghost voters' from ever casting their votes.
>>
>> That brings us to the famous acronyms - BVI (Biometric Voter Register) /
>> BVI (Biometric Voter Identification).
>> Having been to a Voter Registration Centre (later to become a Polling
>> Station) to register as a voter, I did look at the equipment in use for
>> the
>> registration process. I saw the laptop which was fitted with a camera and
>> fingerprints scanner. All these require power to run. I did not dwell on
>> how they were powered, but probably there was a battery backup somewhere
>> (besides the electricity) given that they needed to run for a whole day
>> for
>> several days during the voter registration process. When it comes to the
>> Elections, they only need to run for about 11 hours. My point here is that
>> of *Backup Power* should it be that there's electricity blackout and the
>> built-in batteries can't last the whole day. That backup is very
>> important.
>>
>> However, I did not see any piece of equipment which could suggest that the
>> equipment in use required any form of connectivity back to some central
>> server in order to function! Which now brings me to the currently national
>> debate - Manual Backup during the Poll Day. What is it? Was the CS honest
>> with his presentation before the Senate/Amos Wako committee yesterday?
>> Does
>> the CS himself really believe in the content of his presentation? I am
>> asking that because I watched him and I don't believe him. I actually
>> think
>> he mislead the committee, and hence the nation at large.
>>
>> Someone please prove me wrong. I am at that point where I believe that the
>> BVR/BVI does NOT require any form of connectivity and so this Manual
>> Backup
>> being touted by the ruling coalition side, strongly supported by  the ICT
>> CS is a big lie. WHY?
>>
>> My very first answer: Simply put, *when there was no requirement for a
>> manual backup during voter registration, it goes without saying that there
>> is NO NEED for on the polling day.*
>>
>>
>> 1. For the issue that is in contention - BVR (used for BVI during polling)
>> - this is a database that can be (and should be) statically stored on the
>> equipment for each polling station. We are not supposed to rely on the
>> Mobile Network to access this voters database. And every polling station
>> can have two/three laptops/Biometrics scanner/Backup batteries to ensure
>> that the voter identification doesn't fail.
>> Some excuse has been fronted about some voters being mechanics, such that
>> their fingerprints wouldn't be recognized by the BVI systems hence need
>> for
>> manual identification. My take on that is that every voter must carry
>> their
>> voter's card on that day. The clerks can check that card number against
>> the
>> electronic system - enter it, and it will bring the person's picture, ID
>> number, etc and let him cast his ballot.
>>
>> 2. For electronics results transmission (ERT), this is not even necessary
>> in the first place. We can have the results collated/announced at the
>> tallying centres after being certified - forms 36A, and such. However, if
>> the ERT must be done, the data footprint is so tiny that a 2G network can
>> be used. Besides, it can be an SMS based system, which doesn't require 3G
>> or VSAT. The results data isn't that large - it can't be in Megabytes to
>> be
>> sincere. Well, VSAT can be used if they MUST, but this is after the voting
>> process itself is complete, has nothing to do with BVI.
>>
>> The ERT and the BVR/BVI are two distinct systems. That is what I want to
>> believe. The ERT gets feedback from a manual process - of voters casting
>> their vote, clerks/agents counting, verifying, and certifying, filling
>> requisite forms then communicating the same via some customized phones
>> which are programmed to communicate to a backend system. Am I right on
>> that??
>>
>> Now the big question here is, where do we need this much touted manual
>> backup where network connectivity is being used as the major reason???
>>
>> (a) Citing terrorism and the possibility of Al Shabaab knocking off base
>> stations seems like well thought out lie meant to cover our eyes! If they
>> attacked an area, I doubt there will be voting in the 1st place.
>>      And even so, the network connectivity is not required for BVI so
>> there
>> is no disenfranchising anyone if there is no manual backup (whatever that
>> is).
>>
>> (b) Citing hacking is neither here nor there for a BVR/BVI system because
>> it's not being accessed live during the voting. It's a static database,
>> unique to the polling station, resident on the laptop used by the clerks.
>> The only hacking that can be done then can only be by an "insider".
>> Quoting
>> Victor Kapiyo from Social Media, "*I guess it's a question of trust. Trust
>> in systems and in trustworthy people to do the right thing. For M-Pesa, or
>> KCSE results, we trust both. For IEBC, I guess the jury is still out*."
>>
>> The main issue is not allowing the dead voters to rise again to vote in
>> the
>> presidential vote, then disappear. So the important component here is the
>> BVR/BVI, the credibility of the register and hence the vote.
>>
>> At what point does the BVI system require this connectivity they are
>> talking about, which then necessitates the so called "manual backup"?
>>
>> Did the CS ICT lie to the Senate?? Did the CAK lie to the Senate in
>> supporting the lie from the CS??
>>
>> There is insincerity in this whole debate about 'manual backup' and the
>> ICT
>> community seems to either support it or is simply lost in the pool of
>> confusion being peddled by politicians.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best regards,
>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>> Nairobi,KE
>> +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223
>> "Oh, the cruft."
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>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
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>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
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> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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