The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) may no longer be required to broadcast presidential election results live from polling stations if a proposed bill in the Senate becomes law.
The 2024 Election Laws Amendment Bill seeks to repeal Section 39 of the Election Act and introduce a new provision that removes the obligation for IEBC to stream results live as they are announced at polling stations.
“The new section eliminates the requirement for IEBC to ensure that election results are streamed live to keep the public informed,” the bill states.
Currently, IEBC is mandated to broadcast presidential election results live on large screens at the national tallying center as they are announced from polling stations. These broadcasts allow media outlets to disseminate updates to the public, showing leading candidates, their vote tallies, and the stations reporting.
The proposed amendment suggests that results announced at polling stations will now be deemed final. Furthermore, it mandates that presidential votes be tallied, announced, and transmitted electronically before the results of any other electoral positions are handled.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho Senator) and Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi Senator), is a product of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).
This committee, comprising representatives from the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition and the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, was established by the government in response to opposition-led protests following the declaration of President William Ruto as the winner of the August 9, 2022, presidential election.
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