Kenyan Member of Parliament Caroli Omondi is set to table an Elections Amendment Bill in Parliament, seeking to scrap the national tallying centre ahead of the 2027 General Election. The proposed law aims to limit the role of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson to adding up and announcing presidential results as declared by returning officers at constituency tallying centres. This move is part of a broader effort to reform the electoral process and prevent potential manipulation of results.
The People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms, a group advocating for changes to the electoral framework, is behind the proposed bill. They argue that the current system allows for alterations and delays in the declaration of presidential results. The coalition wants the law changed to ensure that presidential results declared at constituency level cannot be altered at a later stage. This proposal comes after the High Court upheld the national tallying centre while stopping the IEBC from changing presidential results that had already been declared at constituency level.
The High Court ruling, which followed a case brought by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and other leaders, called on Parliament to tighten electoral laws ahead of the 2027 General Election. The People’s Coalition claims its proposed amendments seek to address the issues arising from the judgment. According to Katto Wambua, Secretary General of the UGM Party, Parliament should amend the relevant provisions following the court's interpretation of the law governing the tallying and declaration of presidential results.
Under the proposed changes, the IEBC chairperson would not be allowed to re-tally or re-verify figures that have already been declared at constituency level. The chairperson would be required to rely on figures submitted by constituency returning officers when announcing the presidential winner. This means that the chairperson's role would be limited to aggregating and announcing total votes as sent by the returning officers, without any alterations.
The coalition has also raised concerns about potential weaknesses in the current electoral law, which they believe could be used to manipulate figures at the national tallying centre. They argue that the government is not interested in amending the law, citing instances of alleged manipulation in the past. Muthoni Ouko, a member of the People’s Coalition, emphasized the need to remove the law that allows for the retention of a tallying centre to alter and delay results already announced at constituency level.
The proposed amendments have garnered support from various stakeholders, who see them as a crucial step towards ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. Neto Agostinho, a member of the People’s Coalition, highlighted the importance of ensuring that presidential results are transmitted and made public without alteration or delay. The coalition plans to pursue the proposed amendments through Parliament and return to court if the changes are rejected.
With 321 days remaining before the August 2027 General Election, the proposed bill is expected to spark intense debate in Parliament. Omondi is expected to present the Elections Amendment Bill next week, and the People’s Coalition is optimistic about securing changes to the electoral framework before the election. The outcome of this process will likely have significant implications for the conduct of future elections in Kenya.
Key points
- The proposed bill aims to limit the IEBC chairperson's role in tallying presidential results.
- The coalition wants to scrap the national tallying centre to prevent potential manipulation of results.
- The proposed amendments seek to ensure that presidential results declared at constituency level cannot be altered at a later stage.
