Kenya Presidential Vote Tabulation Fails, ‘Computer Bug’ Blamed, Count Restarts by Hand

Share article:

What kind of a pathetic, backwards, third-world country would allow this sort of thing to happen?

Just in from BBC [emphasis added]…

Kenya’s electoral commission has said that a computer bug is to blame for a large number of rejected votes in the tallying of the presidential election.

Issack Hassan said the computer was multiplying each rejected vote by a factor of eight.

This led to huge disputes and allegations of fraud.

Vote-tallying has been restarted by hand following this and other glitches but Uhuru Kenyatta still has a large lead over Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“For any rejected vote for any candidate, they were being multiplied by eight,” said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman.

The number of rejected votes has fallen dramatically from more than 330,000 – 6% – during an initial count, to 58,644.

Ah, yes. An imperfect version of “Democracy’s Gold Standard” (publicly hand-counted paper ballots at the precinct — so, perhaps we’ll call what they’ll now be using in Kenya the “Silver Standard”) to save the day again.

How long before folks realize that’s the way that every self-respecting, self-governing democracy ought to be counting ballots in their elections in the first place?

[Hat-tip Bob Patterson.]

* * *

The BRAD BLOG covers your electoral system, fiercely and independently, like no other media outlet in the nation. Please support our work with a donation to help us keep going.Please CLICK HERE to help support our work today!

Share article:

-- (COMMENTS FOLLOW BELOW AD CONTENT) --

Reader Comments on

Kenya Presidential Vote Tabulation Fails, ‘Computer Bug’ Blamed, Count Restarts by Hand

16 Comments

(Comments are now closed.)


16 Responses

  1. 1)
    wanjiru Kinyanjui said on 3/7/2013 @ 2:28pm PT: [Permalink]

    I expected some trouble and it came. Kenyans are very suspicious of politicians. We are long suffering. But it might end up right this time. At least no-one seems to want violence.

  2. 2)
    Ancient said on 3/7/2013 @ 12:24am PT: [Permalink]

    My daughter’s father, Wild Bill took his Dad…The Mac Attack (the only pilot in WWII to be the only plane in a squadron to make it back after bombing Berlin, twice!) Anyway, they came back from Kenya saying, “Those are the nicest people we’ve met.” Mac had stayed in the Air Force after the war to help set up air traffic control world wide. Bill took him there because that was one of the few places in the world he hadn’t been. Bill went on to say, “Americans should leave them alone, they don’t need our over consumption.”
    I hope your country continues to takes the best ideas from our Democracy, and leaves the rest for us to straighten out!

  3. 3)
    Ancient said on 3/7/2013 @ 12:46am PT: [Permalink]

    An ya know what Mac used to tell little boys after watching John Wayne movies with them, ” That’s not real, its Hollywood. War is not good.”

  4. 5)
    Ancient said on 3/8/2013 @ 1:40am PT: [Permalink]

    Yinz folks should be damn proud, great job! Darkness will hide, and secrecy won’t hold.

  5. 8)
    Ancient said on 3/8/2013 @ 4:23am PT: [Permalink]

    Maybe we should be sending instruments instead of guns and bombs and drones! Me thinks, that is a more peaceable solution. More voice, less destructive noise and death.

  6. 11)
    Ancient said on 3/9/2013 @ 2:54pm PT: [Permalink]

    Happy feet to ALL! Instead of bombs lets ship banjos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey There DC…OVER.

  7. 14)
    Ancient said on 3/9/2013 @ 3:53pm PT: [Permalink]

    And for posterity’s sake…What is our energy policy again?… and how does that differentiate between COMMUNIST China and us? Or has been given all over to, “the powers that be, instead of Democracy?”

  8. 15)
    Ancient said on 3/9/2013 @ 6:03pm PT: [Permalink]

    An oh yeah, if there is one fat ass I’d like to take my sweet little female Irish knuckles to, it would be babs bush for all the crap she has helped to create. Go to HELL WALLSTREET.

(Comments are now closed.)


AD CONTENT

BB SIDEBAR NOTICE

Thanks to you, The BRAD BLOG has been trouble-making and muckraking for … 22 YEARS!!!

Please help The BRAD BLOG, BradCast and Green News Report remain independent and 100% reader and listener supported in our 23rd YEAR!!!

ONE TIME
any amount...

MONTHLY
any amount...

OR VIA SNAIL MAIL
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman / BRAD BLOG
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028

RECENT POSTS

Did Trump and His Attorneys Conspire to Defraud the United States?

The court-ordered reopening of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS could have impacts well beyond blocking access to a $1.8 billion slush fund...

Sunday ‘Slush Fun!’ Toons

THIS WEEK: Dirty Money ... Trump Kennedy Center ... Let's Get Physical ... Forever (and Ever) War ...

Idle Hands…

Time off, and an update on the BRAD BLOG update...

Sunday ‘Have You Considered Treason?’ Toons

THIS WEEK: The Unstoppable Steal ... The Colbert Canary ... The Paxton Primer ...

Republicans Are Revolting: ‘BradCast’ 5/21/2026

Guests: Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' on the primaries, the ballroom, the slush fund, the wars, the media, Stephen Colbert, and much more...

‘Green News Report’ – May 21, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Primary Results from Six States and Trump’s $1.8 Billion Taxpayer-Funded Grift Machine: ‘BradCast’ 5/20/2026

Results and context from AL, GA, ID, KY, OR, PA; Also: Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol cops file suit to shutdown Trump's 'insurrectionist slush fund'...

NAACP Calls for Voting Rights Boycott of College Sports at Southern Schools: ‘BradCast’ 5/19/2026

Also: We endorse Trump's endorsement in TX GOP U.S. Senate runoff!; DOJ adds MORE corruption to Trump's already 'most corrupt' agreement in U.S. history...

‘Green News Report’ – May 19, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

‘The Most Corrupt Thing in ALL of American History’: Trump’s $1.8 Billion DOJ-Facilitated Taxpayer Heist: ‘BradCast’ 5/18/2026

Guest: Robert Weissman of Public Citizen; Also: Election results from LA; Mass voting rights protest in AL; More...

Sunday ‘All Over the Map’ Toons

THIS WEEK: South Rising Again ... T in China ... Strait Outta Hormuz ...

More GOP Vote Rigging Underway. Hey, Maryland Dems! Time to Get Crackin’!: ‘BradCast’ 5/14/2026

Also: GA GOP rigs Atlanta D.A. elections; MT's new voter suppression law nixed by state court; Much more...

‘Green News Report’ – May 14, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen...

Do Dems Have the Courage Required to Restore and Reform American Democracy? (Do You?): ‘BradCast’ 5/13/2026

Guest: Kate Riga of Talking Points Memo; Also: SC Senate leader blocks U.S. House gerrymandering; Primary results from WV, NE...

Offshore Oil Rig Fire in SoCal a Preview of Trump’s NEXT Huge Failure: ‘BradCast’ 5/12/2026

Guest: Brady Bradshaw of Center for Biological Diversity; Also: Inflation spiked to 3-year high in April; Dems still favored to win House, despite GOP map rigging...

About Brad Friedman...

Brad is an independent investigative journalist, blogger and broadcaster. Full Bio & Testimonials… Media Appearance Archive… Articles & Editorials Elsewhere… Contact…

He has contributed chapters to these books…
…And is featured in these documentary films…

BRAD BLOG ON THE AIR!

THE BRADCAST on KPFK/Pacifica Radio Network (90.7FM Los Angeles, 98.7FM Santa Barbara, 93.7FM N. San Diego and nationally syndicated, Monday-Thursday, on many other affiliate stations! ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
GREEN NEWS REPORT, nationally syndicated, with new episodes on Tuesday and Thursday. ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
Media Appearance Archives…

AD CONTENT

ADDITIONAL STUFF

Brad Friedman/
The BRAD BLOG Named...

Buzz Flash's 'Wings of Justice' Honoree
Project Censored 2010 Award Recipient
The 2008 Weblog Awards