National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya on February 2, 2022, tabled the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2022 before parliament.
The bill seeks to block the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from streaming polling station results on an online portal.
If passed, it would mean that results can only be broadcasted after IEBC verifies and documents the tallied votes.
The law will require presiding officers to transmit results at every polling station to the Returning Officer based in their region of jurisdiction.
Returning Officers are then required to collate results from their region to the National Tallying Centre.
The new law will also require physical forms to be delivered at the National Tallying Centre by the Individual Returning Officers for verification and reconciliation.
The bill has since faced opposition from a section of politicians and members of the public.
"On this one, I fully support HNIB chief Itumbi. I am in Azimio but can't tolerate legislation meant to erode our technological advances on poll results transmission. All we need is to improve the system to prevent technological rigging. Let's not take Kenya to Kivuitu moment," Abuga Makori stated.
“This Bill is mischievous. If they are for a credible, transparent process, why shut out the media from streaming live the presidential election results. We are not for this,” Belgut MP Nelson Koech stated.
Soy MP Caleb Kositany, on his part, vowed to rally UDA troops to vote against the Bill, or seek legal redress in case it sails through.
“I am smelling a rat. These people want to rig elections. We will not allow the media and other online channels to be shut out in the live streaming of the presidential election results,” said Kositany.
