The Democratic Party has vowed to oppose proposed changes to electoral laws that it says could weaken transparency in the transmission and announcement of election results ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Party leader Justin Muturi said the party would resist any legislative measures that undermine public scrutiny of election results, arguing that such changes would threaten constitutional democracy and erode public confidence in electoral institutions.
In a statement, Muturi said the party was opposed to any proposal that weakened safeguards intended to ensure Kenyans could independently follow and verify the electoral process.
“The Democratic Party unequivocally opposes any legislative proposal seeking to weaken electoral transparency by removing safeguards for the live transmission of election results,” he said.
Muturi invoked Article 86 of the Constitution, which requires elections to be accurate, verifiable, secure, accountable and transparent, arguing that electoral reforms must strengthen rather than undermine these principles.
He warned that any attempt to limit public scrutiny of election results would contradict the spirit of multiparty democracy and called for such proposals to be challenged through lawful parliamentary and constitutional avenues.
“Elections belong to the people, not the government, and no administration should treat transparency as a threat to its political interests,” Muturi said.
The party also urged Parliament to reject provisions that could restrict public access to timely and verifiable election information.
According to Muturi, weakening transparency safeguards could create an information vacuum, encourage misinformation and undermine public confidence in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
He said the Democratic Party would demand accountability from lawmakers sponsoring or supporting measures that could roll back existing democratic safeguards.
“Our position is unequivocal: no information blackout, no weakening of constitutional protections, and no legislation that compromises Kenyans’ right to scrutinise their elections,” he said.
Muturi’s statement comes amid debate over the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, which the National Assembly passed on October 22, 2026.
The debate has centred on whether the approved amendments expressly require livestreaming of election results announced at polling stations, in addition to electronic transmission and online publication of results forms.
The question has renewed attention on the legal framework governing electoral transparency and the role of Parliament in ensuring that any changes to election procedures comply with the Constitution.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, the Democratic Party says it will oppose any legislative changes that could limit voters’ ability to scrutinise the counting and announcement of results.
“Democracy must never be sacrificed at the altar of political convenience,” Muturi said.