“Please do not interrogate the returning officers and slow down the process. If we do this we will not be able to complete this exercise,” said President Wafula Chebukati during a press briefing on Friday.
“Agents, do your part: observe, make notes, and then let the process proceed,” he said, threatening to kick out disruptive individuals.
Three days after polling closes, 99.94% of results from polling stations have been submitted electronically, but only a small number have been verified and declared by the IEBC.
The wait has raised concerns across the country as Kenyans wait eagerly to find out the winner of the presidential race. Provisional results from major TV stations showed the frontrunners Raila Odinga and William Ruto. However, with over 13 million votes out of some 14 million, broadcasters have stopped updating the tally as of Thursday night.
Kenyan election law requires designated election officials, known as returning officers, to bring physical forms showing results from across the country to the Milan center in the capital Nairobi.
The presidential contest is largely considered a two-horse race between Vice President Ruto and veteran opposition leader Odinga, who was endorsed for the top post by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.