MPs and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have opposed efforts to scrap the national presidential vote tallying centre ahead of the 2027 elections. A case filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah challenges rules on tallying results. IEBC says the centre enhances transparency.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, along with opposition leaders, has filed a case challenging Section 39 of the Elections Act and rules related to the national presidential vote tallying centre. The petitioners argue that constituency results should be final and not sent back for verification at the IEBC centre.
Omtatah stresses that the Constitution designates polling stations and constituencies as the final levels for counting and declaring presidential results. He says the IEBC chairperson's role is purely administrative, to collect and declare the winner without altering outcomes.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon rejected these claims, stating the centre operates per the Constitution and prior court rulings. "This step increases transparency and accountability as the public can view the forms online," Ethekon said in his affidavit.
The National Assembly, through Clerk Samuel Njoroge, and the Senate, through Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, have backed the current system. They note that the issues are being addressed via the Elections Amendment Bill 2024, and court intervention could disrupt the legislative process.
The case is set for formal hearing on July 1, 2026.
