IEBC Kenya
Senate by Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and his minority counterpart Stewart Madzayo have tabled a bill in the Senate that seeks to stop the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from livestreaming presidential results.
The proposal seeks to amend Section 39 of the current Elections Act which required IEBC to livestream the results as announced in the polling stations.
Results are currently being collated at polling stations and published on the IEBC’s official website, allowing Kenyans to access results in real-time.
“The new section proposes that results at the polling station shall be final, and the presidential election shall be tallied, announced, declared, and electronically transmitted before all other elective positions.
“Further, the new section has omitted provisions providing for the requirement for IEBC to establish a mechanism for the live streaming of results as announced at polling stations to facilitate public information,” the bill reads in part.
Other proposals from the bill include an audit of the electoral register by a recognized firm to determine the number of valid voters.
“The evaluation shall include a review of the legal framework, processes, and costs associated with the electoral process. The proposed new provisions require the preparation of a report to be submitted to Parliament within ninety days of the appointment of the independent firm,” the bill reads in part.
The subsection outlining what happens if there are discrepancies between the electronically transmitted results and those announced at the polling station has also been omitted from the amendment to section 39.
“Further, the new section has omitted provisions providing for – where there is a discrepancy between the electronically transmitted and the physically delivered results the result which is an accurate record of the results tallied, verified, and declared at the respective polling station shall prevail,” the proposed bill states.
The bill is currently at the Committee of the Whole stage in the Senate and Senators are expected to make amendments to the proposal.
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