Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has called on the electoral body to retain the live streaming of election results as part of a broader framework to safeguard transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owalo, a former ICT cabinet secretary, said live streaming allows citizens, political parties, election observers, the media and other stakeholders to follow the announcement of results at polling stations in real time, helping to strengthen trust in the electoral process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Transparency should never be seen as a burden. It is a democratic duty,” Owalo said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should remain committed to restoring public confidence and conducting free, credible and verifiable elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The remarks come amid debate over possible changes to the electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owalo argued that live streaming complements other election transparency measures, including electronic transmission of results, public access to statutory election forms, physical tallying, independent observation and media coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Kenya’s electoral history showed that limiting access to information during elections could fuel suspicion, encourage misinformation and heighten political tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of reducing transparency, authorities should focus on strengthening safeguards surrounding the process, Owalo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Those measures should include improving verification procedures, enhancing cybersecurity, protecting transmission infrastructure and maintaining comprehensive election records,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owalo said protecting the integrity of official election results and allowing the public to observe the process in real time were compatible objectives that would reinforce confidence in democratic institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What our country needs is not less openness, but greater confidence in how our elections are conducted,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owalo called for investment in better election technology, stronger safeguards, credible audits and clear public communication, saying such measures would help ensure confidence in both the electoral process and the final outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He urged policymakers to avoid reforms that could undermine public trust, saying the priority should be to protect the vote, strengthen verification mechanisms and preserve the credibility of country’s elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has called on the electoral body to retain the live streaming of election results as part of a broader framework to safeguard transparency and public confidence in the electoral process. Owalo, a former ICT cabinet secretary, said live streaming allows citizens, political parties, election observers, the media and other stakeholders to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n