Suba South Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi has accused the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of frustrating his efforts to enhance election transparency ahead of the 2027 General Election. Speaking on Spice FM, Omondi claimed that his proposals to restore mandatory live streaming of election results and introduce additional safeguards were dropped during parliamentary consideration of the Elections Amendment Bill.
Omondi had proposed amendments to Section 22 of the Bill, which sought to repeal Section 39 of the Elections Act. This section requires the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to establish a mechanism for live streaming results announced at polling stations. He wanted the live-streaming provision retained and expanded to allow Kenyans to follow presidential election results as they are announced at constituency tallying centres.
The MP's proposal also included the establishment of a National Results Centre where results from all 290 constituencies and the diaspora would be streamed publicly. Additionally, he suggested other safeguards, including a publicly accessible register of voters transferred between polling stations and regular audits of the voter register. He also wanted political parties to have access to the source code and audit logs of the IEBC's election management system.
Omondi accused UDA and ODM of using proposals from the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) to weaken electoral transparency. He argued that removing the live-streaming requirement would limit public scrutiny of the election process. The MP also opposed proposals in the Bill to transfer responsibilities assigned to presiding and returning officers to the IEBC as a commission.
Under the current electoral framework, presiding officers count, tally and announce results at polling stations, while returning officers collate and announce results at constituency and county levels. Omondi argued that clearly assigning these responsibilities to individual election officials was necessary to establish accountability and guard against possible manipulation.
Omondi's proposals were informed by consultations with civil society, court rulings and a people-driven electoral reform programme launched by the United Opposition under former Chief Justice David Maraga and former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi. With Parliament expected to pursue mediation over the disputed amendments, Omondi said he would work with senators to push for changes that meet constitutional requirements.
He warned that failure to secure the proposed changes through Parliament would prompt a court challenge. Omondi's efforts to enhance election transparency have been met with resistance from UDA and ODM, raising concerns about the integrity of the 2027 General Election.
Key points
- Caroli Omondi accuses UDA and ODM of frustrating efforts to restore mandatory live streaming of election results.
- Omondi proposed additional safeguards, including a publicly accessible register of voters transferred between polling stations.
- The MP warned of a court challenge if Parliament fails to secure proposed changes to the Elections Amendment Bill.
