The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called on Parliament to publish the approved text of the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, alongside a record of the amendments. This is to resolve conflicting accounts of what the National Assembly passed. The society said Kenyans should not have to rely on competing political claims to establish what the law provides.
LSK President Charles Kanjama stated that electronic transmission and livestreaming serve different purposes. While transmission sends results to IEBC systems, livestreaming allows the public to follow the process as results come in. The society urged Parliament to explicitly protect the livestreaming of results through a publicly accessible platform.
The LSK also asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to explain how voters, candidates, journalists, and observers will access and scrutinize the results. The society added that publishing polling station forms would provide another means of verifying the figures.
The LSK has given the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seven days to arrest and charge suspects linked to the alleged abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich. The society expressed concern over the lack of substantial action two months after the incident.
LSK warned that failure to arrest and charge the suspects within seven days would prompt legal action to pursue command responsibility and accountability. The society also called for the suspension of Communications Authority of Kenya Chairperson Charles Karondo and an investigation into allegations that he was involved in campaigns during the Ol Kalou by-election.
The LSK declared President William Ruto's Cabinet unconstitutional following the expiry of a court-granted deadline to comply with the two-thirds gender principle. The society said four months had passed since the High Court declared the Cabinet unconstitutional for failing to meet the gender requirement.
The LSK urged Attorney General Dorcas Oduor to advise the President to reconstitute the Cabinet in line with the two-thirds gender principle. The society warned against further delays, emphasizing that Kenyans need an election they can verify, a police service subject to effective constitutional safeguards, and public officers who understand the obligations of their positions.
Key points
- The LSK has urged Parliament to protect the livestreaming of polling station results ahead of the 2027 General Election.
- The society has given the DCI seven days to arrest and charge suspects linked to the alleged abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
- The LSK declared President William Ruto's Cabinet unconstitutional following the expiry of a court-granted deadline to comply with the two-thirds gender principle.
