Kenyan bishops challenge ban on live electoral broadcasts
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
Kenyan Catholic bishops are calling on Parliament to reject proposals to ban the live broadcasting of presidential results. The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops says the restriction could increase tensions and reduce confidence in the 2027 general election, according to Citizen Digital.
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) is calling on the speakers of Kenya’s two parliamentary chambers to block electoral amendment bills that it considers likely to reduce the transparency of the vote. The bishops are particularly calling for public access to information on the results of the 2027 presidential election to be preserved, according to Citizen Digital.
The KCCB is also calling on Parliament to accelerate reforms aimed at strengthening the electoral framework before the vote. It is calling on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the body responsible for organising elections, to strengthen voter registration, logistics, staff training, result verification and the handling of disputes.
The bishops are also calling on the judiciary to handle electoral disputes diligently and impartially. They are urging the IEBC to preserve its independence in the face of political pressure and warning against a repeat of the violence and destruction that accompanied previous electoral disputes, according to Citizen Digital.
The KCCB statement comes after Kenya scrapped the live broadcasting of election results, announced on 23 October. It also comes after the Kenyan Parliament adopted rules providing for the transmission of presidential results within two hours, announced on the same day.
