- The National Assembly dismissed reports that MPs removed the legal requirement for the IEBC to livestream election results
- The Assembly's Public Communications office labelled coverage of the Elections Amendment Bill as 'false and misleading'
- The Bill has returned to the Senate for consideration and is not yet law
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Nairobi - The National Assembly has pushed back against media reports claiming that MPs voted to strip the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of its legal obligation to livestream polling station results ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Source: Twitter
In a statement Friday, October 23, the Assembly's Public Communications office acknowledged there being "false and misleading" narratives about the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which passed on Thursday, October 22.
The office said the House had in fact retained the livestreaming requirement in law.
What the Assembly Says It Did
Central to the dispute is Clause 22 of the Bill, which arrived from the Senate proposing to repeal and recast Section 39 of the Elections Act, the provision governing how results are determined, transmitted and declared.
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The National Assembly said it deleted Clause 22 entirely, meaning Section 39 remains intact, including the specific livestreaming obligation contained in Section 39(1G).
The Assembly added that its decision followed public participation and was informed by a High Court judgment delivered on September 22, in the case of Okoiti and another v IEBC and 5 others.
The court upheld both Section 39 and Regulation 83(2) of the Elections (General) Regulations, declining to quash either.
It also cautioned Parliament to "have regard to the construction of Section 39" when finalising election legislation before the 2027 polls.
Several outlets had reported after Thursday's vote that the House removed the livestreaming requirement, pointing to Clause 22 as evidence and noting that the change reversed Parliament's 2022 position, when a justice committee rejected a comparable IEBC proposal.
The reports elicited reactions from an uninformed but hysterical public, which embarked on ranting across the social media platforms.
Other Changes in the Bill
Beyond the livestreaming debate, the bill proposes several other amendments to Kenya's electoral framework.
It would keep the voter register open for public inspection outside designated pre-election periods, remove the IEBC from overseeing party primaries, and align the process for recalling Members of Parliament with constitutional provisions.
The bill also aims to give political parties greater flexibility in candidate nominations, restrict voter-registration suspensions during by-elections to the affected constituency only, and strengthen fairness safeguards in electoral dispute resolution.
During debate, MPs rejected an amendment tabled by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi concerning how presidential results are tallied, verified and communicated.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah opposed the amendment, cautioning against altering electoral rules so close to a general election.
This is not the first time claims about the removal of livestreaming provisions have caused controversy.
In July, the IEBC characterised similar reports relating to a separate measure, the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as "erroneous."
The commission has also maintained that it neither drafted nor sponsored the current Bill and could still stream results on a voluntary basis, though critics have argued that a voluntary gesture carries less weight than a statutory duty.
Because the National Assembly amended the Bill, it must return to the Senate under Article 110(4) of the Constitution before it can become law.
Source: TUKO.co.ke