The complexity of the election is to blame for the high number of spoilt ballots, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Issack Hassan.
As at 10.10am, there were 246,672 spoilt and 104 disputed ballots out of the total 4.23 million presidential votes cast in 34.12 per cent of the polling centres across the country. The size of the spoilt and disputed ballots is however expected to increase as most polling centres continue to report their results to the national tallying centre.
For the first time, Kenyans were voting for six different elective positions namely the president, governor, senator, MP, woman representative and county assembly ward representative.
The presidential ballot, also, for the first time, had the pictures and names of the eight candidates while their running mates only had their names on the ballot.
"Due to the complexity of this election, there is higher number of spoilt votes than we would have wished to see. The IEBC will have a clear count of the spoilt votes at the end of the exercise," Issack told a media briefing at the Bomas of Kenya where the IEBC's National Election Centre is situated.
"The Commission has not yet done audit on rejected votes. May be the colour coding was not good, the green was not that strong," Hassan said in reference to the spoilt ballots."
At the same time, TNA's Uhuru Kenyatta was leading the presidential tally of the provisional results with 2,197,340 votes against ODM's Raila Odinga who had 1,6510,010 votes out of the 4,029,495 valid votes cast.
Hassan also appealed to the candidates, the parties and their supporters to avoid making premature conclusions since what is being relayed is only provisional, with the final tally expected once all the Returning Officers have filed their returns.
"With about 30 per cent of the polling stations, we want to emphasise the results so far are partial and provisional. We are expecting the Returning Officers to file their returns to the National Tallying Centre by this afternoon. We therefore continue to appeal for patience from the public, the political parties as well as the candidates," Hassan said.
The IEBC chairman also called on the parties and the candidates to respect the Commission's authority and accept the results that are announced.
"The IEBC continues to appeal to the parties, the candidates and their supporters to accept the authority of the Commission in conducting, facilitating and managing the elections. The Commission wishes to emphasize the integrity of the results and to accept the outcome," Hassan said.
"We must acknowledge that in every contest, there are winners and losers. Once again, the Commission wishes to assure the public and the candidates that the Commission, in undertaking its taking constitutional mandate will count and tally every single vote."
The electronic results transmission had last night suffered technical hitches which slowed down the transmission of results. However, Hassan assured the public that the challenge has been sorted out and the provisional results were streaming in normally.
"We would like to share that at 9.30pm last night, we experienced network slowdown but that has been fixed and the IEBC is confident that there will be successful completion of the counting. As you know there were a number of polling stations where voting continued to accommodate voters who were on the queue at the official closing time," he said.
The Commission is holding a meeting with political party agents and ICT officers to explain to them the technicalities. Hassan also said the Commission had set up a team to investigate the ICT hitches.
IEBC Deputy CEO Wilson Shollei has also been appointed as the focal person to deal with party agents complaints.
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I just hope that cooler heads prevail and there is peace and quiet until what looks like a runoff in a month.
"NUFF RESPECT TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN KENYA WHO SHOWED THE WORLD THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY DEMOCRATIC IN THIER IDEALS AND THEIR WISH TO SHARE IN THE VISION AND DETERMINING AND OWNING THEIR DESTINY". THIS MOMENTUS VOTE IS ALSO DETERMINING THIER INTENT ON BEING SOVEREIGN AND NOT A PUPPET STATE OF THE WEST BUT A STRONG AFRICAN NATION COMMITTED TO THE PAN AFRICANIST IDEALS OF A AFRICA FOR AFRICANS '; RELYING ON THE TRUST THEY ARE PUTTING IN THIER LEADERS TO FACILITATE THIER EMPOWERMENT WITH A RADICAL SOCIAL AGENDA WITH A WAR ON POVERTY UNDERMINING THE IDEA OF STAUS QUO AND TINY ELITEISMS WITH MONEY POURING OUT THE COUNTRY GOING TO EUROPE AND THE USA". I SHARE THE DYNAMIC ASPIRATIONS OF OUR FUTURE LEADERS MAINTAINING THIER INDEPENDENCE STRENTGHENING THIER SOVEREIGNTY WITH POLITICAL, JUDICIAL JURISPRUDENCE EFFECTIVE NON PARTIAL INSTITUTIONS UNDERMINING THE CYNICAL PARTIALITY THAT IS OF THE WESTERN MIND!!!!!!!!!. NOTHING IS GREATER THAN EQUALITY' IN THE VERY ESSENCE OF ITS MEANING EQUAL!!! NO FAVOURTIISMS THE MEANING OF RIGHT FROM WRONG!!!.. WE SEE A WEST THAT IS LOCKED IN PERPETUAL CORRUPTION, STATUS QUOS, PARTIALITIES DEFAMATIONS HYPOCRICSIMS DOUBLE STANDARDS FAVOURITISMS ALL THESE THINGS ARE WEAKNESSES THAT LEADS TO ILLGOVERNANCE, IN FIGHTING ,POWER GRABBINBG, CONFLICTS CHAOS AND CONFUSION!!!!!!... THESE ARE THE PRACTICES THAT THE WEST WANTS FOR AFRICA!!!.. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DICTATE WITH PUPPET LEADERSHIP FAVOURABLE CONTARCTS THAT LEAVES THE POPULANCE IN ABJECT POVERTY ALL TO THE ENRICHMENT AND GREED OF THE VERY MULTINATIONALS THAT GOES AROUND THE PLANET PLUNDERING LOOTING TRUAMTISING CREATING UNHAPPINESS EVERYWHERE THEY GO"..." KENYA NEEDS TO NOW STEP UP THIER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, WITH MORE AND BETTER TECHNOLGIES IN PHYSICS SCEINCE AND BECOMING THE MASTERS OF OUR MINERAL WEALTH".. WITH THE NEW ENERGY PROJECTS FOR CREATNG CLEAN ENVIRONMENT DRIVEN ENERGY , THIS IS A WIN WIN SITUATION. WE MOST REALISE THAT WATER IS OUR MOST PRECIOUS COMODITY WHEN WE DIRTY AND POISON KILL THE LIFE FORMS THAT FEEDS US PRESERVES US WE CREATE FOR OURSELVES INSECURITY!!!... THERE IS NO WAY THAT AFRICA IS MOVING BACKWARDS AS THE WEST WANTS TO SEE AFRICA GO??? THE WEST STILL WISHES TO BE OUR FUTURE WHICH IS THE EVEN MORE DEPRESSING PAST!!!!!!!.. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE INNOVATIONS OF KENYANS THE PROLIFIC DESIRES BY THIER CHILDREN TO LEARN LEARN LEARN ABSOOLVE KNOWLEDGE SOMETHING THAT WAS DENIED TO KENYANS BY THE DICTATORS OF OUR COLONIAL PAST!!!.. AFRICA MUST ALWAYS STAY VIGILANT WHAT AFRICANS OBTAIN AND ACHIEVE IS ALL BY SHERE STRENGTH OF THE AFRICAN MIND. WE HAVE HAD NGOS' IN AFRICA FOR DECADES THEY ONLY SERVE THE STAUS QUO OF WESTERN HEGEMONY SO THEY DESERVE NO PRAISE ITS IS THE MILLIONS OF KENYANS WHO WISH TO IMPROVE AND DO WHAT WAS ALWAYS NATURAL TO AFRICANS LIVE IN SOCIAL EQUALITY AND HAVE EMPOWERMENT IN ELECTING THIER LEADERS. IN ALL AFRICA WE HAVE HAD KINGS FROM TIME MEMEORIAL WHAT IS NOT KNOWN IS THAT THE PEOPLE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN ELECTING THE FAMILIES AND KINGS THAT GUIDED THIER NATIONS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE AS WITH THE STORY OF MOSES AND JOSEPH THRUOUT ALL AFRICA ONE COULD COME FROM BEING OF THE LOWEST INSTATURE TO GREAT LEADERSHIP EVEN KING. CASE IN POINT IS 'ASKIA MUHAMAD OF MALI'WHO WAS A SERVANT IN BONDAGE WHO ROSE TO BEING KINGAND TO LEAD ONE OF AFRICAS MOST ILLUSTRIOUS EMPIRES IN IN ALL WEST AFRICA""... AFRICA BY NO MEANS IS LOST TO TIME THE RENASCIENCE OF PAN AFRICANISM WILL SURVIVE AND MAKE THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA REALISE THIER GREAT PAST INTERLOCKED WITH THIER GREAT FUTURE.. WHEN WE DISTANT OURSLVES FROM THE INFERIRORITY COMPLEXES THAT WASIMPRESSED UPON US BY OUR DICTAORS FROM THE WEST WE WILL FIND AN INQUISITIVE MIND THAT IS CONNECTED WITHA SUPREME POWER THAT WAS THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE HUMAN CREATION"... WE ARE THE GENISIS OF HUMANITY WE ARTE THE ADAMANITES( NUBIANS) CONTARARY TO WHATEVER HISTORY THEY WANT TO DEPICT EVIDENCE FACT SHOWS US TO BE THE ORIGINAL CULTIVATERS BUILDERS MATHEMATICIANS SCIENTIST ASTRONERMERS AGRICULTURALIST URBAN DESIGNERS.. THERE IS EVIDENCE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT DISPLAYS ORU ARCHITECTURE WALLED CITIES THAT IS OF ONE PERTINENT DESIGN IN KENYA ITSELF TODAY ARCHGEOLOGIS HAS UNEARTHED ANCIENT VERTY VERY ANCIENT WALLED CITIES LIKE WAS FOUND IN SOUTH EAST ASIA SOUTH AMERICA THE MEDITERANEAN ALL THESE CITIES LOST CITIES FOUND UNINHABBITED HAVE NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR AS IS DOCUMENTED BY THE RACIST AGENDA OF WHITE ARCHEOL;OGIST???? HOWEVER WE FIND THESE VERY CONSTRUCTIONS ALL OVER AFRICA BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.. I WILL REMIND AFRICANS THAT WHEN LEO AFRICANUS NAVIGATED AFRICA HE SAID THAT THERE WERE CITIES GRAND CITIES ALL OVER AFRICA WITH WIDE AVENUES. EVEN IN SUDAN THE BRITISH SUNK ALL THE ANCIENT CITIES OF WHAT WAS THE TRUE BEGINNINGS OF EGYPT. THE IDEA THAT SUDAN HAS HUNDREDS MORE PYRAMIDS THAN EGYPT TELLS THE TALE. WHITES WOULD HAVE US BELIVE THAT THE BLACVKS LEARNED THIS TECHNOLOGY FROM THE WHITE EGYPPTIANS WHICH WERE THE MACEDONIANS WHO MARVELED AT THE GREATNES OF EGYPT!!!!!. WHAT WHITES HAVE DONE IN EGYPT IS TO POTRAY THE MACEDONIAN INTERVENTION IN WHAT WAS MILLIONS OF YEARS OF PROLIFC BLACK HSITORY AND MADE EGYPT WHITE????????? THIS GOES FOR MOST OF WEST AND NORTH AFRICA2 TODAY KENYA IS TAKING FORWARD THIER IDENTITY THIER FUTURE IS CLEARLY IN THIER OWN HANDS!! WE NEED TO ALLY WITH THOSE WHO WILL TRADE PROPER ETCHNOLGY TEACH US WHAT WE IN AFRICA NEED TO BE EQUAL AMONGST NATIONS PHYSICS SCEINCE THAT IS LACKING WE NEED TO BEABEL TO HARNESS OUR OWN RRESOURCES FOR OUR BENIFITS , THERE IS NOTHING LACKING IN AFRICA WE HAVE DEEP OCEANS THAT CAN PROVIDE FOOD WQE NEED SHIPS THAT CAN TRAWL THE SEAS OFF OUR WATERS WE HAVE LAKES THAT CAN FEED AND CHANNEL WATER TO OUR CROPS WE HAVE FERTILE LANDS THAT CAN BE SUSTAINED BY WIZE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES, WE HAVE HERBS AND BUSHES '. WE NEED TO RESEARCH OUR FORMER HERBAL MEDICINES MAKING IT PRACTICAL FOR DISTRIBUTION TO OUR POPULANTS WHICH MEANS PHARMACUTECALS, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN NOT DO IN AFRICA; WE NEED AN AFRICA FOR LIKE MINMDED AFRICANS A SAFE PLACE WITH OUT WESTERN STYLE DISCRIMINATIONS. WHAT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE EVOLUTION AWAY FROM WHITE THINKING HAS EVOLVED WITH THE EPISODE THAT TOOK OUR COMMUNITIES BY STORM 07 ;' ISAY TO ALL AFRICA WE MUST NOT LIVE AS WE SEE THE LIKES OF THE ISRAELIS WITH HATE, PARTIALITY, WAR MONGERING, SEGREGATION, BIAS AND LIKE THE GULF STAES WITH THIER SECTARIAN IDEOLGIES ALL THAT DIVIDES IS IMPURE AND OF WEAK MINDS' WE ARE SUPEIROR TO THAT. WE MUST RECOGNISE THAT WE ARE HUMANITY AND' THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH' NOT IN THE SIMPLISTIC FASHION THAT IS BEING ESPOUSED BY FOOLS BUT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ORU SOULS WHICH WE DO HAVE WHICH WE DO NOT SEE WILL HAVE PERPETUAL DEATH WITH A BURNING THAT IS NOT OF OUR CONCIOUS BEING BUT THE PRACTICAL KNWOLEDGE THAT IT WILL BE SEVERE. AS WE ARE ALL PART OF THE UNIVERSE AND WE ARE PART AND PARCEL OF THIS "GREAT GOD" THAT CREATED US;' THE BURNING AWAY OF THE IMPURITIES WHICH ARE THOSE WHOM ARE RELUCTANT TO OVERSATND THAT " HIS MAJESTY LORD GOD ALLMIGHTY" DOES EXIST!!!! WE KNOW THIS BY THE MANY DIFFERNT TEACHINGS AND PREACHINGS OF EVEN OUR NOT SO FAR ANCESTORS WHO BELIVED IN THIS MONOTHESEIST THEOLOGY". WE ARE A VERY ANCIENT PEOPLE THAT GOES SO FAR INTO THE EARLY CREATIONS IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THAT WE STILL EXIST TODAY. STAY STRONG KENAY PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL KENYANS!!! THIS HAS DONE THE EARTH PROUD!!!!!!!!!!
Since it looks like voters did not receive adequate civic education on how to vote and wrongly marked ballot papers,or placed them in the wrong boxes,in presence of IEBC officers who probably offered no aid, the most logical thing to do with the surprisingly large numbers of rejected votes is to add them to each of the presidential candidates proportionally to his/her individual national tally.