The People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms has demanded sweeping changes to Kenya’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 General Election, including the scrapping of the national tallying centre and decentralisation of presidential results management.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Tuesday, the coalition said the reforms were necessary to guarantee credible, transparent and accountable elections.
The group wants presidential election results to be managed at constituency level, with each constituency having an independent server accessible to political parties, agents, the media and the public.
It argued that the Constitution does not provide for a national tallying centre and called for amendments to the Elections Act and regulations to align the electoral process with the Constitution and Supreme Court decisions.
“We are making a demand that there shall be no national tally center so as to comply with the Constitution of Kenya and decisions of the Supreme Court of Kenya,” the coalition said.
The group also wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct an independent audit of the voters’ register and biometrics, followed by physical and digital public inspection.
It said the register should be cleaned up, published in full and made available for verification ahead of the election.
The coalition further wants tougher penalties for election offences, including a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for serious offences involving electoral technology, such as altering results or compromising election systems.
It also called for the disqualification and prompt prosecution of state officers who misuse public resources for partisan political activities.
On election technology, the coalition wants IEBC to abandon a centralised system and adopt a “decentralized modular election technology architecture” that allows independent verification of results.
It called for public testing, independent certification and greater transparency in the procurement of election technology, including publication of system requirements, architecture and data protection assessments.
The coalition said returning officers and county election managers should be recruited through open and competitive processes, with their longlists, shortlists and vetting details made public.
It has set November 30, 2026, as a key deadline for amendments to the Elections Act and regulations, as well as the gazettement of a decentralised results management framework.
“If these five important reforms are not fully implemented before the August 2027 general election, the people of Kenya shall pursue every lawful, constitutional, statutory, and international avenue available,” the coalition said.
The demands come a day after the IEBC formally gazetted the date for the 2027 General Election, setting Tuesday, August 10, 2027, as polling day.
In a public notice signed by IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon on Monday, the commission said the gazettement was made under Article 88(4) of the Constitution, the Elections Act and the Elections (General) Regulations, 2012.
The notice also sets out timelines for political parties, including submission of authorised officials by October 15, 2026, certification of nomination rules by October 30 and submission of certified rules to IEBC by November 6.
Parties must also have their membership lists certified by March 23, 2027, while details of party primaries must be submitted by April 8, 2027.
The People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms brings together political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in the electoral process.
It comprises former Chief Justice David Maraga, Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, Third Way Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot, People’s Renaissance Movement Party leader Caleb Amisi, Linda Mwananchi spokesperson Caroli, among other leaders.