Kaluma Proposes Major Change to 2027 Elections, Names Two Counties for Tallying Centre

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has sparked fresh debate over Kenya’s 2027 General Election after proposing that the national presidential tallying centre be moved from Nairobi to Mandera or Wajir.

In a statement shared on Tuesday, October 20, Kaluma challenged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to consider establishing the facility in northeastern Kenya ahead of the August 10, 2027 polls.

The legislator argued that no law requires the National Tallying Centre to remain in Nairobi or at Bomas of Kenya, which has hosted presidential tallying during previous elections.

His proposal comes amid growing disagreements over how presidential results should be handled and verified before the final winner is declared.

But is relocating the centre to another part of the country as straightforward as it sounds?

The issue has both legal and political implications that IEBC would need to consider before making any changes.

In September, opposition leaders, including Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, challenged the legality of the national tallying arrangement in court.

They questioned whether the Constitution allows IEBC to tally and verify presidential results nationally after the figures have already been announced at polling stations and constituency tallying centres.

However, the High Court dismissed their petition, upholding the legality of the National Tallying Centre.

Justice Gregory Mutai explained that national tallying is necessary to determine whether a presidential candidate has met the constitutional requirements for victory.

A winning candidate must secure more than half of all votes cast nationally and at least 25 per cent of the votes in more than half of Kenya’s counties.

Although the court upheld the arrangement, the debate over the centre’s role has continued.

The Constitution does not specifically name Bomas of Kenya as the permanent venue for presidential tallying. However, electoral regulations require the national presidential tallying centre to be located in Nairobi, meaning Kaluma’s proposal raises questions about the applicable legal framework.

Any relocation would therefore require IEBC to address the relevant regulations before implementing the change.

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice David Maraga’s People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms has called for the national tallying centre to be abolished altogether.

The coalition argues that presidential results announced at polling stations and constituency tallying centres should not be retallied at a central facility.

Government officials, however, have defended national tallying, citing the legal provisions governing presidential elections.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the competing proposals are likely to keep electoral reforms in the spotlight.

Source:https://peopledaily.digital/inside-politics/kaluma-challenges-iebc-over-nairobi-based-tallying-centre-proposes-mandera-or-wajir-for-2027-polls?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8yNzUyNTQ2OTI1OTgyNzkAAR7kh-raOgR_80JoRehUofKEyf7RZqSmpWqidyIumbnHqi5TIlh4eCSjvFfQXw_aem_BZ1AoBBEfkpmbPgHwA9deA

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