NAIROBI, Kenya- A proposed amendment to Kenya’s election laws could stop the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from livestreaming presidential election results as they are announced at polling stations.
If enacted, the proposed changes would remove the requirement for the electoral agency to provide live streaming of results from polling stations, meaning Kenyans would no longer be able to follow the announcements in real time through the IEBC platform.
The proposal is contained in the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to introduce changes to Kenya’s electoral framework following recommendations by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).
Currently, electoral law provides for the publication of polling station results forms through an online public portal and requires IEBC to establish a mechanism for livestreaming results announced at polling stations for public information purposes.
The livestreaming provision was introduced as part of efforts to improve transparency and allow citizens, observers and political parties to independently follow the results announcement process.
The proposed amendment has triggered debate over electoral transparency, with critics arguing that removing live access to polling station announcements could reduce public oversight of the vote-counting process.
Supporters of the changes have argued that official election results should be determined through legally recognised procedures, including verification of results declaration forms, rather than real-time broadcasts from polling stations.
IEBC has previously maintained that livestreamed results are meant for public information and are not the basis for declaring winners.
Kenya’s election technology and results transmission systems have remained a major focus of public debate since the disputed 2017 presidential election, when questions over transparency and verification processes led to a Supreme Court petition.
The proposed law will now undergo parliamentary scrutiny before any changes can take effect. If passed, it would reshape how Kenyans access election information during future presidential polls.
