The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has proposed a bold change for the upcoming 2027 General Election: a shared broadcast signal to transmit election results.
The idea is to have one uniform feed provided to all media outlets simultaneously, eliminating discrepancies created by independent media tallies.
During a media roundtable on August 6, 2025, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan emphasized that multiple media houses interpreting presidential results differently can mislead the public and spark tensions.
He questioned whether all broadcasters could align better by using a single signal directly from the IEBC’s central results hub.
Traditionally, media organisations download Forms 34A and 34B from the IEBC portal and manually input data a process prone to timing, formatting, and sequencing variation.
In the 2022 election, this led to conflicting tallies that required corrections, causing confusion when results differed in real time despite coming from the same source.
Although varied reporting can promote transparency, mismatched figures sometimes shake public confidence.
Marjan has called on media to collaborate on crafting a standardized delivery system that avoids confusion but preserves independent verification.
Media leaders, including the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), have already partnered with IEBC to ensure fair and accurate election coverage.
They are working together to support professional standards, balanced reporting, and timely access to verified electoral data.
Critics of shared broadcast models warn that over-centralization may stifle investigative reporting or obscure errors in the data pipeline.
However, IEBC maintains that internal systems remain unchanged media outlets will still receive scanned copies of official Forms 34A and B through the IEBC portal.
Improving the result transmission system aligns with broader reforms aimed at restoring electoral credibility.
The commission has secured additional funding to strengthen its digital infrastructure including deploying new KIEMS kits, restarting stalled boundary delimitation, and expanding voter education ahead of the polls.
With the proposed shared broadcast, IEBC hopes to eliminate inconsistencies at critical moments, reduce public anxiety, and ensure that claims of political manipulation have no room to thrive.
The proposal is still under discussion, and the Commission has encouraged media houses and stakeholders to contribute workable alternatives.
By Kenyans