Editor's Review
President William Ruto has blasted politicians who want to disrupt the country by mobilising young Kenyans around propaganda and misinformation.
Informing his reaction were claims that there was an attempt to have live transmission of election results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) done away with.
Speaking during a church service at AIC Kasina, Mwingi, Kitui County, Sunday, October 25, the president insisted Kenyans have a right to livestreamed election results, dismissing claims that the practice has been outlawed as propaganda.
He accused leaders he did not name of misleading young people about the election laws.
"I’m seeing leaders trying to misuse the youth of Kenya with propaganda and fake news and false information. We saw it in 2024. There was a lot of propaganda spread on the finance bill," he said.
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He drew an instance from the condemned Finance Bill 2024, which he observed was derailed by misinformation, and the same tactics were being repeated around the election laws.
Ruto said the bill's fate showed how baseless claims can overturn sound legislation.
"We had to stop the finance bill not because it was wrong, but because of propaganda. We eventually passed all the clauses of the bill because there was nothing wrong," he noted.
The claims followed the National Assembly’s passage on Thursday, October 22, of the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill (Senate Bill No. 29 of 2024), with amendments, after public participation by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC).
The legislative house dismissed the reports that the IEBC's duty to livestream results was removed, saying the requirement is retained.
Ruto observed that Kenyans have the right to be updated on election outcomes, calling out those spreading falsehoods with the aim of inciting the public.
"They want to start another propaganda around the election laws; that livestreaming has been banned. Nonsense! Useless fake news and propaganda. Why would anybody want to stop the livestreaming of results? Results are the right of Kenyans. The sooner Kenyans get to know the results of an election, the better for our country," he said.
According to the National Assembly, Clause 22, which sought to delete and recast Section 39 of the Elections Act, was deleted, but Section 39 was retained, which encompasses livestreaming under Section 39(1G).
Parliament, in its explanation, cited a September 22 High Court judgment in Okoiti & another v IEBC & 5 others, which upheld Section 39 and Regulation 83(2) which declined to quash it, and cautioned MPs to heed before the 2027 general election.
In light of the foregoing, Ruto urged his critics to turn their attention to the concerns of young people and stop misusing them for selfish gains.
"I’m asking those leaders who are bankrupt of ideas and whose only business with our young people is to misuse them for their selfish political ends, mobilising them around propaganda and useless things, please, have better engagement with the young people of Kenya. They want education, jobs, opportunities and doing business," he said.
Meanwhile, the bill, which emanated from the Senate, also requires the voters' register to be open for inspection except before polls, removes the IEBC from party primaries, revises the recall of MPs, gives parties nomination flexibility, limits by-election registration suspension to affected areas and seeks fairer dispute hearings.
Having passed the National Assembly with amendments, it returns to the Senate under Article 110(4).
Some youths and activists had threatened protests over an amendment that does not exist.
