IEBC is gaining mistrust among Kenyans. [File, Standard]
The reconstituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) assumed office about a year ago on the backdrop of growing mistrust among Kenyans.
But, even before it conducts its first General Elections, the Commission is already confronting a fresh credibility test after proposing restrictions on the livestreaming of election results.
The proposal, presented as part of efforts to safeguard the integrity of the tallying process, has instead reignited long-standing public anxieties over transparency in the country's electoral management system.
For many Kenyans, whose confidence in election management has been repeatedly shaken by disputed presidential results, court battles and allegations of manipulation, the move has reinforced fears that access to real-time information could be curtailed at the most critical stage of the democratic process.
The government sponsored Bill, whose fate now lies with the National Assembly, is jointly sponsored by Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Minority leader Stewart Madzayo.
The Bill that has stalled at the First Reading level in the Assembly since February 2024, seeks to repeal section 39(1)(g) of the Elections Act.
If approved, live transmission of results displayed by the Commission at the National Tallying Centre may not be there in the 2027 polls.