The Elections Amendment Bill 2024: What You Need to Know
Election
Originally published by Kahawatungu — Read the original article →
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The Elections Amendment Bill 2024 — formally the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024 (Senate Bill No. 29 of 2024) — has been one of the most fiercely debated pieces of legislation in recent Kenyan history. It was introduced in Parliament on July 7, 2024, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi). The bill is a direct product of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process, the bipartisan talks formed in 2023 to ease political tensions after the disputed 2022 presidential election. Its original purpose was to fix the unconstitutional framework for recalling Members of Parliament, but it evolved into a wider set of electoral reforms.
The Senate passed the bill on December 5, 2024, and transmitted it to the National Assembly on February 12, 2025. The National Assembly passed it on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Throughout the Senate debate, three senators in particular — Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) — backed the bill, even as it drew intense criticism from transparency advocates.
The flashpoint is Clause 22, which replaces Section 39 of the Elections Act, 2011. The new provision removes the express legal requirement for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to livestream results as they are announced at polling stations. That obligation had previously been set out in Section 39(1G) of the Act. The bill does not ban livestreaming outright, but it no longer compels the IEBC to operate a public live feed.
