Kenya’s National Assembly has approved a Bill seeking to remove the legal requirement for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to live-stream election results as they are announced at polling stations, setting the stage for a major change in how Kenyans follow the 2027 General Election.
The decision, reached on Thursday, October 22, 2026, means the proposed removal of mandatory live-streaming has cleared the National Assembly, with the legislation now awaiting the remaining steps required before it can become law.
The Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, seeks to amend Section 39 of the Elections Act, which governs the determination, transmission and declaration of election results. The Senate had approved the Bill in December 2024 before forwarding it to the National Assembly for consideration.
At the centre of the changes is the removal of the provision requiring the IEBC to establish a mechanism for live-streaming results announced at polling stations for public information.
If the Bill receives presidential assent and becomes law in its current form, the electoral commission will no longer be expressly required under that provision to provide a live broadcast of polling-station results.
Kenyans May Lose Guaranteed Access to Live Results
The change could affect how voters, journalists, political parties and election observers monitor the announcement of results during the 2027 General Election.
Live-streaming enables the public to watch results being announced at polling stations in real time, offering an opportunity to follow the process as figures are declared at the source.
Removing the statutory requirement would mean Kenyans could no longer rely on that provision to compel the IEBC to provide an official live feed of polling-station announcements.
The change would not, however, prevent the commission from choosing to live-stream results voluntarily or stop other broadcasters from independently covering the announcements.
Electronic Transmission and Online Publication Remain
Despite the removal of mandatory live-streaming, the Bill retains provisions for electronic transmission of election results and the publication of polling-station results forms through an online public portal.
The proposed framework also provides that results declared at polling stations shall be final, while retaining requirements governing the transmission, verification and declaration of election results.
The distinction is crucial: live-streaming allows the public to watch announcements as they happen, while electronic transmission moves results through the electoral system and online publication provides access to the official results documents.
The proposed changes therefore target the legal obligation to provide a live broadcast, rather than abolishing electronic transmission of election results altogether.
Transparency Question Ahead of 2027
The decision comes as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election, with the handling and public scrutiny of results remaining important elements of electoral administration.
The removal of mandatory live-streaming could shift how the public observes results announcements, placing greater attention on the availability of official results forms, electronic transmission and verification procedures.
The Bill is part of electoral reforms linked to recommendations from the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO).
Although the National Assembly has approved the proposed changes, the legislation must complete the remaining constitutional steps, including presidential assent, before the amendments become law.
Until then, the existing legal framework remains applicable.
Channel 15 News – The Full Story First On www.channel15news.co.ke
