Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku has introduced a significant proposal to transform Kenya’s electoral system through a new bill aimed at implementing fully electronic elections.
The proposed Elections (Amendment) Bill seeks to eliminate manual voting processes by moving all electoral activities online. It also intends to replace the current mixed system with a fully integrated electronic framework for voter registration, candidate nominations, and voting.
“The primary objective of the draft bill is to amend the Elections Act, 2011, to include a fully integrated electronic electoral system in Kenyan electoral processes,” Ruku explained.
During a presentation to the National Assembly Budget Committee, led by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, Ruku detailed how the bill would manage, support, and administer electronic voting systems. He suggested abandoning the existing integrated system, which currently encompasses biometric voter registration, voter identification, and electronic result transmission.
“The electoral process is hybrid, as it still involves manual elements like the casting of physical ballot papers. Therefore, this legislative proposal aims to create a fully integrated electronic system,” the bill states.
Ruku envisions an electronic system for voter registration, candidate nominations, and voting. The voting process would involve printed, machine-readable, and optically scanned ballots, eliminating the need for manual voting altogether.
“In today’s world, where advancements in technology drive automation, traditional manual voting systems are becoming increasingly unsustainable,” Ruku stated.
He believes that enacting this bill could lead to more accurate, quicker, transparent, and verifiable election results.
“E-voting offers convenience and efficiency by removing the necessity for physical ballot papers, polling stations, and manual vote counting. This technology saves time and minimizes human error,” he noted.
To address concerns regarding the high costs of implementing this system, Ruku proposes a phased approach to ease the financial burden on taxpayers.
The lawmaker highlighted examples from Nigeria, Venezuela, and the United States as models for Kenya’s proposed electronic voting system. Nigeria’s system transmits results to a central portal in real time, greatly reducing the potential for electoral fraud.
In the U.S., touch screens, ballot scanners, and web servers enhance both efficiency and transparency. Meanwhile, Venezuela and the Philippines employ Smartmatic technology, which ensures secure data transmission and advanced audit capabilities.
Kenya’s 2022 elections, which used Smartmatic technology, cost taxpayers over Kes 5.3 billion, with the total election expenses amounting to approximately Kes 34.7 billion.
