Clerics draft bills on poll reforms

Church leaders led by Bishop Mark Kariuki of Life Celebration Centre address journalists at Nuru Palace Hotel in Nakuru County on May 10, 2016. Clerics want voter register inspection extended from 14 to 30 days. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They have presented the Bills and a memorandum to the joint parliamentary select committee that is investigating IEBC officials with a view to sending them home.
  • Currently, the presidential results are made final only by the chairman of the electoral commission and the results have to be manual.

Religious leaders want election results for all seats announced at the constituency level to be final as one way of taming rigging.

They also propose the number of electoral commissioners to be reduced to five, who will work on a part-time basis.

The leaders working under the auspices of Multi-Sectoral Forum with civil society organisations, drafted two Bills - the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill and Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill - to effect a wide range of changes on electoral reforms before the next polls.

They have presented the Bills and a memorandum to the joint parliamentary select committee that is investigating the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials with a view to sending them home.

“Subject to this Constitution and the provisions of this Act, the announcement by the constituency returning officer of the results shall be final,” the leaders said.

The team also wants electronic results to be considered while announcing the final outcome.

Currently, the presidential results are made final only by the chairman of the electoral commission and the results have to be manual.

The opposition has claimed there were cases in 2007 and 2013 where the results for the presidential vote announced by the commission were different from those by constituency officials.

In case of a presidential election petition, the team has proposed that the time be extended from 14 to 30 days.

The team also wants voter register inspection extended from 14 to 30 days.