Democratic Party warns MPs over move to scrap livestreaming of poll results

Party chairman says removing the transparency measure risks electoral disputes, court battles and a collapse of public confidence ahead of 2027

By James Murimi

The Democratic Party of Kenya warned yesterday that Parliament’s move to remove the legal requirement for livestreaming election results from polling stations could undermine public confidence in the 2027 General Election and expose the country to costly disputes.

DP National Chairman Peter Ndubai said the decision created conditions for electoral malpractice and cautioned that lawmakers who backed the amendment could face a voter backlash if Kenyans concluded they had acted to weaken accountability. “Every vote must count, every result must be verifiable, and every Kenyan must have confidence in the electoral process,” Ndubai said.

The party called on Parliament and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to preserve mechanisms that allow Kenyans to independently verify results as they are declared at polling stations. Ndubai argued that once results are recorded at a polling station, they must be protected against unauthorised alteration, with any legally permitted corrections properly documented and processed through established procedures.

Polling station results forms are a critical verification tool, enabling candidates, parties, agents and observers to compare declared figures with those transmitted up the electoral chain. Removing the ability to watch that process in real time, the party argued, strips citizens of their most direct line of sight into how votes become results.

The statement joins a growing chorus of opposition to the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, from civil society, lawyers and political organisations who warn that reduced transparency ahead of a highly contested election carries serious risks for stability.

With August 2027 approaching and the political temperature rising, Ndubai’s message to Parliament was direct: public confidence in an election is built not only on the final result but on whether every step leading to it was open to scrutiny.

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