Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei /HANDOUT

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has defended the live-streaming of election results, saying the practice is a major component of building public trust in Kenya’s electoral system and strengthening international confidence in the country’s elections.

Speaking to NTV, Sing’oei said the real-time transmission of results had contributed to electoral transparency and should be strengthened rather than scrapped because of technological challenges.

“In my view, from the transparency point of view, confidence internationally with respect to Kenyan elections, the fact that we have been able to transmit results in real time has been one of the factors,” he said.

The PS acknowledged concerns over technological glitches and cybersecurity risks associated with electronic systems but maintained that such challenges should be addressed without abandoning live transmission.

“We would like to see that strengthened and not taken away because of complexity,” Sing’oei said.

He said technical failures could create fear and anxiety among voters, particularly when questions arise over the integrity and reliability of election results.

“There may be some technological glitches that have been noted that may create fear and anxiety. There may also be issues of cybersecurity, but they all should be brought together and resolved,” he said.

“These issues should not be the reason for removing live transmission. I am on the side of live transmission.”

His remarks come as Parliament considers proposed changes to the country’s electoral laws under the Elections (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024, which seeks to repeal and replace Section 39 of the Elections Act.

The Bill has been approved by the Senate and is before the National Assembly for consideration and concurrence.

Among its proposals is the removal of the express legal requirement for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to establish a mechanism for live-streaming results as announced at polling stations.

The proposed amendment has sparked debate over the implications for electoral transparency, public access to results and accountability in the vote-counting process.

Live-streaming enables members of the public to watch results being announced at polling stations in real time.

Electronic transmission, on the other hand, involves relaying results through the electoral system, while online publication allows the public to access result forms for examination.

Although the mechanisms can complement one another, they serve distinct purposes in ensuring openness throughout the electoral process.

Removing the express live-streaming requirement would mean the proposed replacement section no longer specifically obliges the IEBC to broadcast polling-station announcements live.

Sing’oei’s position is that the challenges associated with the technology should be resolved through improvements and stronger safeguards, rather than removing a mechanism he considers important in building confidence in Kenya’s elections.