President Uhuru Kenyatta assents elections law allowing manual back-up to electronic voting

President Uhuru Kenyatta has assented to the Elections Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016 that allows a backup mechanism to the electronic voting method during the General Elections.

These amendments mean that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissions (IEBC) can now put in place “a complimentary mechanism for identification of voters and transmission of elections results“ if the electronic voting fails.

That complimentary mechanism, says the amended Bill assented to by the President at State House, Nairobi, must be “ simple, accurate, verifiable, secure, accountable and transparent to ensure that the commission complies with the provisions of Article 38 of the constitution”.

Speaker to the National Assembly Justin Muturi, Solicitor General Njee Muturi, Leader of the Majority in Parliament Aden Duale, leader of the majority in the Senate Kipchumba Murkomen and the Clerk of the National Assembly Justin Bundi witnessed the signing of the amended bill into law.

The amendments generated some of the most heated debates both in Parliament and the Senate when they were recently presented in both houses for debate.

In the National Assembly, the Jubilee majority voted for the amendments while in the Senate a largely bi-partisan vote passed the amendments.

Besides the complimentary voting mechanism, there are new insertions in the amended Bill including the requirement for Members of Parliament and members of County Assemblies to have a degree from a recognized university from before they can seek being elected into office.

The IEBC is also mandated to issue respective political parties with certificates of compliance upon receipt of the nomination rules from the said political parties.