Party Leader @Mwananchi_TMP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS STATEMENT: THE MWANANCHI PARTY REJECTS MOVE TO SCRAP MANDATORY LIVE-STREAMING OF ELECTION RESULTS Nairobi, 23 October 2026: The Mwananchi Party, its members and leadership strongly oppose the National Assembly’s passage, on 22 October 2026, of the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024 (Senate Bill No. 29 of 2024). We welcome many of the proposed reforms, but we cannot accept provisions that would roll back hard-won gains in electoral management. As patriotic wananchi, we will defend the integrity of our elections against any such retrogression. Clause 22 repeals and replaces Section 39 of the Elections Act, 2011, and in doing so removes the duty, previously set out in Section 39(1G), requiring the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to live-stream results as they are announced at polling stations. That duty was designed to protect the integrity of results transmission. Although the amended text retains the electronic transmission of result images, uploads to the online portal and the physical delivery of Form 34A, dropping the live-streaming obligation severely weakens public oversight at the most critical moment of the count. Kenya should tread carefully when amending its electoral rules. A country whose citizens have lost considerable trust in their government cannot responsibly remove the very provisions that allow them to scrutinise the process. Kenyans are politically aware and their democracy has matured; it is unreasonable to expect them to wait passively for results. The Mwananchi Party will defend their right to track results as they are relayed, in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution and our ideological pillars of Constitutional Freedom and Social Justice. Grounds for Rejection 1. A setback to post-2007 reforms and public trust. Mandatory technology and live result broadcasts were central recommendations after the 2007 post-election crisis, intended to restore confidence in our democratic process. Public trust has since continued to wane, so transparency and scrutiny must be strengthened rather than withdrawn. Removing this guarantee is a retrogressive step that would revive suspicion in closely contested polls. 2. Loss of real-time public verification. Live-streaming gives citizens, party agents and observers immediate visual confirmation of tallies as presiding officers read them out, assuring everyone that votes are being relayed without interference. It is a vital safeguard against alteration of figures before they reach tallying centres, a claim raised in previous elections. Without a legal mandate, such claims would return, and suspicion with them. 3. Protection against information blackouts and disinformation. On tense election nights, delays or suspensions in result broadcasts create information vacuums, which the proliferation of citizen-led news channels makes especially fertile ground for propaganda. Past cycles show that such blackouts heighten anxiety and fuel fake news. Uninterrupted live streaming provides a steady, verified flow of information straight from polling stations. 4. Weakened media and civil society oversight. In the 2022 General Election, live result feeds enabled the media and independent observers, such as the Elections Observation Group (ELOG), to run Parallel Vote Tabulations and round-the-clock concurrent tallies. Scrapping the mandate undermines these watchdogs’ ability to verify official outcomes independently and in real time, and so diminishes the legitimacy of the process. ... 1/2

Today, we unveil The Mwananchi Party Pillar No. 4: Social Justice Every Mwananchi deserves dignity, access to healthcare, and social protection. Our vision is to empower the vulnerable while creating pathways to employment, enterprise, self-reliance, and mass economic mobility. Utu, Uhuru na Fursa. Tuinuke Pamoja! 🇰🇪 #TheMwananchiParty #TMP #SocialJustice @HEBabuOwino

Today, The Mwananchi Party, led by its Executive Director, Mr. Casper Sitemba, paid a courtesy call to the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Kenya headquarters. The delegation included Ms. June Ndegwa, Deputy Director of Membership and Programs, and Ms. Stella Agara, Director of Programs and Political Affairs. They were received by NDI Kenya Country Director, Mr. Dennis Omondi, alongside his elections program team. Discussions centred on The Mwananchi Party’s vision for national transformation, tackling extreme poverty, and creating opportunities for all Kenyans to prosper. The meeting also explored potential areas of collaboration to strengthen political parties in Kenya and advance the democratic and transformative agenda that Kenyans aspire to. The Mwananchi Party values this engagement with NDI Kenya and looks forward to exploring partnerships grounded in shared values, stronger democratic institutions, and inclusive development. Partnership at the Core of The Mwananchi Party Agenda. Tuinuke Pamoja! #TheMwananchiParty #TMP @HEBabuOwino @CasperSitemba @NDI @DuchessJW

Every student deserves access to quality education and the support they need to succeed. This Sunday, Babu Owino resumes his online lessons with KCSE Mathematics revision, giving students an opportunity to learn and prepare for their exams beyond the classroom. This aligns with The Mwananchi Party’s pillar on A Productive State, which seeks to strengthen education and expand learning opportunities for all. Tuinuke Pamoja! #TheMwananchiParty #BabuKwaSababu