The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will no longer be legally required to live-stream results announced at polling stations during the 2027 General Election following the National Assembly’s approval of the Elections Amendment Bill 2024.The change marks a shift in how Kenyans will follow the counting and announcement of election results.
In previous elections, members of the public could watch live feeds showing results as they were announced at individual polling stations.
The broadcasts allowed people to follow the process in real time before the figures were transmitted to tallying centres.Under the proposed changes, the IEBC will no longer be required by law to provide that service.
However, the removal of the live-streaming requirement does not mean the commission will stop transmitting results electronically or making official election documents available to the public.
The bill removes the legal provision that required the IEBC to establish a system for live-streaming results declared at polling stations. Results announced at each station will remain final, while the commission will still be required to transmit them electronically to constituency and national tallying centres.
The IEBC must also publish official results forms on its public portal, allowing members of the public to access the records and verify the figures after they have been uploaded.
Supporters of the amendment argue that live-streaming was not the legally recognised record of an election result. They maintain that the official document signed at a polling station remains the main record and that electronic transmission, together with the publication of results forms, will continue to provide a way of checking the figures.
The bill also provides for alternative methods of transmitting results in areas where mobile network coverage is poor, addressing challenges that could affect the electronic transmission process in some parts of the country.
However, the proposed changes have raised concerns among those who believe live-streaming helps the public monitor elections more closely. Critics argue that allowing citizens to watch results as they are declared gives them a clearer picture of the process and can help build confidence in the outcome.
Without the mandatory live feeds, Kenyans will have to rely more on updates published on the IEBC portal, information shared by candidates’ agents and reports from election observers present at polling stations.
The extent to which the public will be able to follow the process in real time will depend on how the commission implements the remaining transparency measures.
The amendment follows recommendations by the National Dialogue Committee, which examined electoral reforms after the disputed 2022 General Election.
The proposal had earlier received support from both the majority and minority leaders in the Senate before the National Assembly approved the bill.For the 2027 polls, the IEBC will still be expected to transmit results electronically and publish official forms for public scrutiny.
Candidates, their agents and accredited observers will also be able to monitor proceedings at polling stations.
The key change is that the commission will no longer have a legal obligation to provide the live broadcasts that many Kenyans have come to expect during elections.
The final legal provisions and the IEBC’s implementation decisions will determine how the public accesses results as the next general election unfolds.
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