National Assembly Votes to End Mandatory Livestreaming of Poll Results
Kenya's National Assembly passes Elections Amendment Bill
The National Assembly has passed the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, which aims to scrap the mandatory livestreaming of polling station results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The Bill targets Section 39 of the Elections Act and passed its third reading during a heated sitting. If enacted, the IEBC would still be required to determine, declare, and publish results immediately after polling closes.
Key Provisions
- The framework for transmitting presidential results, verifying figures, and publishing polling station result forms would remain.
- Results declared at polling stations would stay final, and the commission would keep its constitutional role of tallying and declaring the presidential outcome.
The removal of the livestreaming requirement has sparked debate about electoral transparency and the potential impact on the presidential results chain.
Source: Nairobi Wire. AI-assisted summary.
