 Welcome back. Welcome back. It's still wine in the morning. Thank you for staying with us. If you're just joining us, you're on time for the first conversation on sport and tech. We talk on matters technology and today we have innovators in the house who will be talking to us about an election management system that they have come up with. And for this we have Edward Malanga and Joshua Carissa. Thank you. How are you feeling to be in Y254? Really great. We're glad to have you. Yeah, we're really happy to be here. The hashtag to use, remember, is the hashtag to use is 1000Vibes at Y254 channel. So tell us about this system that you have developed. But first tell us who you and what you do. Okay. My name is Edward Malanga. I am the business and development, business development and communications officer for E-Poll Limited. And as well, of course, I'm a developer. Okay. Joshua, tell us who you are and what you do. Well, I'm Joshua Carissa and I'm the product manager of E-Poll. So basically managing the product out here. Okay. So what is E-Poll? You've mentioned E-Poll. E-Poll, tell us about it. Well, E-Poll basically is a company that we came up with to give our people this product, this wonderful product that we developed to help them easily manage the election and maybe in the future have a very transparent election for Kenyans to be more confident in themselves. Okay. So you've come up with a system to enable transparent elections. Absolutely. Edward, tell us more about this system, the electoral management system. Yeah. Well, you can also attest to the fact that the elections in Africa or rather in Kenya have been characterized by so many complaints due to the various malpractices that happened during and even before the election exercises. So for the first time, the candidates will have an opportunity to actually manage their own results and also have the analysis and at the same time, it gives them the freedom to verify their results independently. Okay. Yeah. So that's the essence of the system. All right. So from what I'm getting is that this system is mostly for the candidates? Not only the candidates, but as well we have election observers. We have NGOs, other institutions who are interested in the elections. Of course, we have the parties also. So it covers all those types of groups of people. Okay. So Joshua, the system that replace the current IBC system that we have or is it a complementary system to the current system that we have? Interesting. Okay. We're not here to replace IBC. We're just there to compliment them. Just what you're doing is really giving an opportunity for every candidate or every interested party out there do what they've always been doing but faster and in a smarter way. Okay. So basically to make sure that whatever is going on, you have evidence. Absolutely. You have a glimpse of what is happening. You have a glimpse. You can see it by yourself. Yeah, in real time. So have you collaborated with IBC so that you can walk through it together or is it an independent thing? It's actually an independent thing. Yeah. It's actually an independent thing. We don't want to mislead anyone. Yeah. That is where we are actually covering the political parties and candidates. We don't have anything to do with IBC. The system. Okay. The elections are done however it's usually done and you are just dealing with the candidates and the election of the seers and the media. Yeah, of course. Okay. So Joshua, have you used the system before or is it just being introduced? All I can say is for security purposes, we have load tested it with over 100,000 simultaneous connections and it can actually handle that per second that is. So I can say it's pretty much good for that. So it's actually active. Yeah. Have you used it in any elections? For security purposes. Well, I don't understand why it's for security purposes because if you've used it, you've used it. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Actually, let me just say yes, we've used it. Yeah. So you don't want to disclose where you've used it? We have learned to use it, yeah. But in this elections that we're heading to. It's the first time. In Kenya. In Kenya it will be the first time. The 2022 general elections. Yeah, exactly. Okay, so we want to know how exactly it's being used and then you will tell us other uses that it has other functionalities. But first give us a demonstration because we like to see it with our eyes to believe it. Awesome, awesome. Okay, so can you see that? Yes, the camera will get you. So just take us through how it is first. Okay, so what I've done here, I've actually logged in beforehand because there's a lot that goes on at the back end. So I've logged in as a candidate. So what happens here is when you come in as a candidate, let me see the presidential candidate. We onboard you. Yeah, you are the presidential candidate. So we onboard you to the system and of course you have your agents on the ground that you've entrusted with the work of very fine results. So I come with my own agents? You come with your own agents. So we train your agents first on how they're going to be using the system because as a candidate you're going to be having a dashboard. If you can see my screen, that is now the typical dashboard of the candidate on their side. And of course the agent, they're going to be having their own side. So on your end now, what you do here is you're able to see what all your agents that you have deployed across all polling stations are actually taking up. So they have to wait for the results to be counted of course for them to get access to the declaration forms and the final result that is on the polling station level. So the application on the agent's side enables the agent to actually take a photo of the declaration form and then applause that declaration form to our servers. So once that happens, the system what it does is it updates the information on the candidate's side here. So let me get you from there. The agent is at the polling station. So they take a picture of the declaration form and then they send it to your system. So that's how you have it in the system. Yeah, that's how you're going to have it in the system. So the candidate on their end can actually now see exactly what is happening on the ground across all the polling stations in Kenya. Let me see if now you're the presidential candidate. Now you have agents across Kenya so you're having maybe Nairobi County or Rift Valley or let me say Kisumunyanza, whatever. So once you have these agents on the ground they're going to be relaying that information to you directly and the process is supposed to be taking less than like two minutes so it's going to be like real-time information. Okay, so can we see it? Okay, yeah, sure. Okay, they will project it and they will zoom into it. All right, so what you're seeing here on the desktop is the dashboard of one of the presidential candidates is to make it very realistic. Just pick to one of the real presidential candidates. So they have the election. They can actually observe the election here. So I'm going to click on the first tab here. That's the elections tab. As you can see when you click on that it takes them directly to this analytical tool where they can actually visualize and see everything that is happening on the ground in real-time. So what you're seeing there are basically results that have been sent from other counties by agents. But now we're also going to demonstrate how an agent now does the whole thing from the polling station now until the candidate actually gets the results here. Okay, sure. Yeah, so we've actually pre-loaded the information first to just get a glimpse of what is happening. Okay, so let's just play the agents. Okay. Yeah, so as you can see here it gives quite an interesting view of everything and you can roll over in terms of graphs and it shows you visual presentation of what is happening on the ground. Quite interesting stuff here. So if you want to compare the graphs, yeah, something like that. So you can do that very, very quickly. All right. Yeah, so... So now you can see whether you're winning or you're not... Oh, you're not winning. Yeah, in whatever the polling station. So what you're seeing here are the two graphs. If you can see that very clearly. So the first graph is the graph that shows the results that come from the agent directly and the second graph is supposed to be showing us the results that we have vetted. So ideally... So this is the first graph? This is... You see here, there are two graphs there. There are two graphs here. So the first one is on the left side. The other one is not populated because the results are not vetted here. Yeah, so once the results are vetted then you see a visual presentation of what is happening here. So ideally the results are supposed to be telling. So we vetted the results and then you see now these are the vetted results from us. Yeah, if there is a discrepancy, definitely there are a few things that we have to do on our end to make sure that everything is actually up running. Okay. Okay, so... Edward, you look like you want to say something. Actually, everything has already been highlighted. I just wanted to mention the fact that that is just the presidential elective position but also we have all the elective posts. Yeah, and they are also able to do the same things. So number one, they must upload the form. If it is presidential, of course, that's the that for a, from the polling station. So we trust the first document that comes. Yeah, so that will come only from the polling station. So once they upload, they also have to key in the figures. Yeah, so that we can compare the two entries. So we also have a team of vetters who receive the forms that have been scanned by the agents and the team of vetters now compare. If maybe there was some type or some data errors, we are able to rectify it from our end. Yeah, so it takes... My point is it takes the least time for a candidate to get the accurate results. In real time? Yeah, in real time. Okay. Yeah. Okay, so let me just take it through that. Can you see my phone here? Let's see my phone. I will zoom in to it. Yeah, you should zoom in. Okay, so what you're seeing here is now me as the agent, playing the agent, I'm loading into the system using the application. Now it gives me a few options quite interesting. The first option is I can stream news directly from the polling station. So if there is any sort of malpractice at the polling center, I can take that directly and upload that in the servers. So you're taking a video? Yeah, you take videos, like short videos. You can take a video, you can take streams from the application. So in case of any malpractice... Yeah, you just take that and upload that. Yeah, very interesting. And the second feature here is you can either take the picture of the declaration form or just upload it directly. So I'm going to upload one very, very quickly. I'm sorry about that. Just upload one quickly here so that you can see what is happening. So I've uploaded the form. This is just a random form. This is not an actual declaration form. It's a form, yeah. Okay, so what you can see below that are the names of the candidates that are vying for presidency. Of course, you're going to see that these are just for demo purposes. So you're going to see all the names of all the candidates vying. I'm sorry about that. Snapchat me so may ngili liye kati. Yeah, yeah. So you sing the names of all the candidates. So what the agent does is remember they've already uploaded the form to the system. Then the second part they're supposed to be filling in the results here manually. So what they do is you can let me say this is 58, 50 for example. Let me say 46, and 69, and maybe 50, something like that. Okay? And then below that you can see there's another option of invalid votes. Let me say we have two invalid votes. Okay. And the rest of them just put a random number here. It's 250, the total number of votes. Okay? So this is not the agent sending information to the system. Yeah, to the system. Okay. Now they submit that very quickly. And once they submit the data, now from their end, this election from the end is going to be closed. Okay? So just let it there. Okay. That is it. So once it's done, it's done. So they can't send any other election again. So it's closed from that? That is closed. It could only be open if there's a problem. Let me say the forms are not very, very clear. So they want to repeat the process. The contact, the centers, a lot of who will open. Yeah, Sabah. Do you know Fungua Sabah? Yeah, Fungua Sabah. Okay. Yeah. So, well, that is happening now. The candidate on their end are seeing these information streaming in live here very quickly. You can see the figures have changed. So because we've updated that information. You've updated the information, so now it's coming to the... Yeah. Now remember that is happening to thousands of agents that is happening very, very quickly. So you can see these results right in front of you while it's happening. Wow, quite interesting, quite interesting. So how did you come up with this? What do you feel the need to come up with this, Edward? Yeah. Okay. I wouldn't like to go back in history, but we, some of us have an experience working with the commission, of course. Yeah. So, but actually the need for having their system is the fact there are so many malpractices during their elections. So we found it very necessary and sensible enough to come up with a system that would help at least govern the election in a very manageable way and very transparent for the candidate. Okay. So if, in the case of there's an election malpractice and the candidate was in your system and knows this, this are the votes that will inspire this. Yeah. So now if they go to court will this hold as evidence? Yeah. Absolutely. Let me pick it then my colleague will continue. So, one great feature for the system is evidence gathering. That is a very important thing because I know most of the candidates use the traditional ways. They give notebooks to agents to go and fill in. Yeah. But they don't have the space where that data goes. So, we are providing them with the service and the space for them to have the data. They can request it at any time in case of any petition. So, there's enough storage. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Okay. Wow. You want to add to that? Yeah. Yeah. So, I just want to reiterate what he just said. What happens is you know everything that comes to the system is to use for good. And if maybe you feel like you want to use that information maybe to fight for your rights, you know, you can always use that because it's this is your information. It's credible information, credible information, public information. Anyone could have actually you could have you could have you could have actually have access to that but in maybe in an older version of ways maybe a lot of traditional systems. So, it takes a lot of time to gather the papers and everything but right now you have everything you have your videos that show hey, there was something fishy going on here. So, maybe your agents might be compromised but you can't compromise the system. Quite interesting. I'd like to know some of the other functionalities because I know the other functionalities that the system has. Yeah. Okay. It also has an opportunity for the candidate the priority to actually test the the polls. Yeah. So, before the elections. So, the candidate will be able to know where to put more muscles in. Yeah. Based on the popularity of certain regions and also it's an analytical tool. So, that means we are also advancing as time goes. To serve even more detailed functionality to our clients who are the candidates of political parties. So, the information that is told will be used to actually come up with even projections of elections of different candidates in the near future. Okay. So, what type of polls can one conduct maybe for an MC in certain words. So, what type of poll would they conduct? The normal polls, as we know them. Like, you just need to go to the system. You create a poll. Maybe you want to know how popular you are in a certain area. So, you create that poll within the system. So, what kind of question would you ask, maybe? The kind of question. The candidate, yeah. Maybe who's the favorable candidates. Yeah. Like, I mean, who would you vote for? Like, you want to know are you are you popular enough in that area? So, you just ask that simple question and add all the other candidates with you. So, you're going to get that real time result from the ground that you feel like, oh, now I'm not doing my work here very, very well. So, I need to put in more muscle here. So, now, it brings in the aspect of the data. Now, where will you get the data of the subjects that you're going to send that poll to? Data protection, acts and stuff like that. So, we can access real data for people. So, what we do is, of course, you're having, as a candidate, you have your pages and your social media platforms. So, we're going to be using those platforms. I mean, the candidate will be using these platforms to, you know, to push the pollings to these people and get results from them. Okay. Yeah. What are the functionality do you have there? Those are the main ones. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, those are the main functions. Okay. What technology does it run under? Okay. It's on cloud. We don't install the system on gadgets. Yeah. So, it's on cloud. I'll leave that to my colleague to expand on it. Yeah. Maybe we can touch on that quickly. Okay. About the technology, all we can say is that they can be available today. So, very, very level, very advanced and well-versed team of technical developers, engineers behind everything. So, for security purposes, I cannot disclose the whole thing for security purposes. We understand that. Yeah. All right. So, tell us what are the future advancements for this system. And then he'll close it with the future advancements he sees for Apple as the company. Yeah. For the system, since we are a company that wants to satisfy our clients 100%, we would also do follow-ups on how you want the election. So, what next? So, we are able to give you predictions, recommendations from the system. So, we are going to tailor it based on how the situation changes. Yeah. As time goes by, we have to tailor it to become as efficient as possible. Okay. So, for efficiency. Yeah. Efficiency. Amazing. Yeah. Okay. I think Apple is not just a Kenyan story that we want to change. We just want to change the way we live is we do believe in transparency, transparent elections, and of course, more efficient elections for the candidate that feel safer in their own space, in their own way in whatever election they're going to be taking part in. So, that's what we're seeing ourselves in the future. All we believe in is just transparency. Transparency all the way. All the way. Close with a word of encouragement for our youth out there that wants to do some things like the one that you have. Okay. All I can say is no dream is too big. And if your dreams are, if your dreams don't scare you, then you haven't dream big enough. They're not big enough. Edward? Yeah. Well, I would love to encourage youths all over the world. It's not about just Kenya. It's anyone with a dream. Any idea that you have, if the people see, you will have to trail around. People will laugh at the idea, but at least if you can make something work, do it by yourself first so that the world can see you are capable and others will join hands, of course. To change the world. Okay. Thank you guys for coming on board. Thank you. And we wish you the best in this technology. Continue representing us to the world. Thank you. So that has been our first interview from representatives from Epol Ltd. And they're doing great stuff. You've had from them. So now, we take a short break and we'll be back for the next interview. Don't go too far. This is why in the morning the hashtag to use is ThasDivives.