United Opposition warns against interfering with IEBC's autonomy

A section of the United Opposition principals have warned both Houses of Parliament to cease any attempts to interfere with the autonomy of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Speaking as they attended Sunday services in Kirinyaga and Laikipia counties, the leaders said they will announce results from every polling station in the 2027 General Election should IEBC be banned from livestreaming results.

This comes as the debate over the electoral laws amendments bill passed by the National Assembly continues.

They view it as a deliberate attempt by the government to arm-twist the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Democratic Party’s Justin Muturi, who attended Sunday service at the ACK church of Faith in Kirinyaga, called out both Houses over seemingly ignoring a High Court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of a national tallying and verification process.

“Bunge tunawaambia mkiona vijana wansema mnafanya makosa kuondoa hii, wabunge wanasema, hatujaondoa. Lakini ile wamebakisha ni ile inasema ata ikionekana pale, haina maana. Tunataka vile mahakama ilisema,” Muturi noted.

“Kura zitahesabiwa kwa kila kituo cha kupigia kura. The polling station. Na matokeo ya hapo zikihesabiwa hayo matoke oni mwisho. Ni final. Na lazima itoka pale ipeperushwe kwa mahali ya tallying,” Kalonzo added.

They said that in the unlikely event the provision to livestream the election results is done away with in the amended law, a mechanism to announce results before the IEBC from polling centers on election day was already in the works.

“Wewe ukiwa ndani uko agent, form ikiwekwa sahihi, tuma hio result kwa wenzako. Tutakuwa tunatangaza matokeo ya Polling station wazi,” said People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua.

“Kura yako must count. Every vote must count and the only way to do that is to make sure that it is transparent and it is in a manner that is verifiable,” Muturi added.

Similar sentiments were echoed by their Democracy for the Citizens party (DCP) counterparts who attended Sunday service at the AIPCA cathedral in Nyahururu, questioning the motive behind amendments to the electoral law, nine months to the general election.

“Kura ikipigwa kwa polling station tutakuwa tumeitangaza kabla ata ahijafika huko IEBC kwasababu tutakuwa tumejua. Si tumeona hio form. Tukishajua kamau amepata hii tunaweka kwa mtandao. By the time wewe uannounce huko, tutakuwa tumeshajua mshindi ni nani. And there is no way William Ruto can beat us,” said Nyandarua Senator John Methu.

The concerns came as the leaders maintained their commitment to unity ahead of the 2027 election.

Meanwhile, the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs has clarified that the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, retains the requirement for the IEBC to establish a mechanism for livestreaming election results ahead of the 2027 polls.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, Parliamentary Affairs Principal Secretary Dr. Aurelia Rono dismissed reports suggesting that amendments passed by the National Assembly had removed the livestreaming requirement, saying the provision remains intact.

PS Rono said the National Assembly deleted a clause in the Bill that sought to amend Section 39 of the Elections Act, which governs the determination and declaration of election results.