Kenyan MPs Plan to Change Election Law

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2017
Kenya Daily Nation
   
 Elections Act

President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses a Jubilee rally in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, on September 26, 2017. Jubilee lawmakers want to amend the Elections Act. PHOTO | AYUB MUIYURO 

In Summary
National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi said the move was retrogressive.

By JOHN NGIRACHU

Jubilee Party MPs have agreed to change the Elections Act to make the manual delivery of the result forms the primary mode of results transmission, with the electronic system being used as a complementary measure.

The party’s 138 members of the National Assembly will also be its chief agents at the constituency level at the presidential election scheduled for October 26, it was agreed at a Parliamentary Group meeting at State House Tuesday.

MPs attended the meeting convened by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.

REPRESSIVE

The plan is to make the manual process of having the forms 34A filled in at the polling station and the forms 34B filled in at the constituency the basis for announcing the results of the presidential election.

They said this would be in line with a case filed by Maina Kiai, where the judges said the results announced at the constituency were final, and the Supreme Court judgment that faulted the electoral agency for announcing the results of the presidential poll without all forms 34A.

But National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi said the move was retrogressive.