Government Spokesperson, Charles Owino, has dismissed reports that Parliament had scrapped mandatory live streaming of election results, clarifying that the legal requirement remains in force.

Owino said the reports circulating on social media misrepresented the outcome of parliamentary consideration of the Election Amendment Bill No. 2, 2024, which originated from the Senate.

In a press briefing at Harambee Annex Offices in Nairobi on Monday, the government spokesperson explained that the National Assembly had deleted Clause 22 of the Bill on October 22, 2026, following a High Court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of Section 39 of the Elections Act.

The section provides for the management and transmission of election results, including their live streaming by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“Consequently, Section 39 remains in force without the proposed changes to remove live streaming,” Owino said, urging the public and media to verify information against official parliamentary records, court decisions and applicable laws.

He said responsible reporting and rejection of misinformation were essential to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.

On concerns over alleged excessive tree felling in the Aberdare ecosystem, Owino said the government had authorised the harvesting of mature commercial trees at Geta Forest Station in Nyandarua County and Kereita Forest Station in Kiambu County.

He said the trees had reached maturity and rotational age, adding that some had become excessively heavy and fallen, resulting in commercial losses.

The harvesting was conducted through online applications by qualified sawmillers in accordance with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, he said.

Owino noted that all the successful sawmillers were local residents from counties within the Central Kenya ecosystem.

He said the government planned to establish new plantations in the short term through the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS), which allows local communities to grow crops for household consumption and sale for three years as trees mature and develop a full canopy.

The matter is also before the courts after a Member of Parliament filed a case in Ol-Kalou, with proceedings reportedly postponed for two weeks.

“The government shall remain compliant with the rule of law,” he said.

Owino said rescue operations were continuing following the collapse of a multi-storey building along 9th Street and First Avenue in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

He said rescue teams had cleared approximately 50 per cent of the debris and rescued two people, a man and a woman, who were receiving treatment in hospital and were reported to be in stable condition.

The government had referred questions surrounding the building’s approvals to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for investigation and possible prosecution.

Owino thanked residents of Eastleigh for their patience and support as emergency teams continued searching through the rubble.

On the Ebola situation, the government spokesperson said the cumulative number of cases remained nine, including the index patient who died on October 5 and a second patient who died on October 23.

He said seven patients were undergoing treatment at designated isolation facilities and responding well to care by infectious disease specialists.

The patients comprise three family members and four healthcare workers who had attended to the first case.

Owino added that all 135 contacts associated with the first case had been traced, representing a 100 per cent contact-tracing rate.

He commended National and County contact-tracing teams, families, communities and development partners for supporting efforts to contain the outbreak.

Owino also announced the commencement of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) across the country on Monday.

He encouraged candidates undertaking the National Assessments, urging them to remain focused and rely on their own efforts.

At the same time, he warned candidates, teachers, examination administrators and other stakeholders against attempting to compromise the integrity of the assessments.

He said the government would take swift legal action against anyone found engaging in examination malpractice.

“Let us protect the integrity of our national education system and allow our children to succeed through their own honest efforts,” he said.

The government reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the credibility of national examinations and ensuring that candidates are assessed fairly.

By Aron Kinyamasyo