Candidates Lists

Easy to use – and at your fingertips on your mobile phone: The complete lists of the candidates for the 2017 General Elections in Kenya, Aug 8, 2017. Download the Excel-File that we have compiled or click the separate lists for the elective positions. The lists were generated from the list that was gazetted in … Continue reading “Candidates Lists”

Late Accreditation even without MCK Card

The IEBC Rules simply cannot apply to Media covering the elections Media representatives who missed the deadline to apply for accreditation by the electoral commission to cover this year’s polls still have a chance to get their cards. And although IEBC states otherwise, they may try to do it even without valid Media Council of … Continue reading “Late Accreditation even without MCK Card”

How to monitor the Elections Process – A Step-by-Step Guide

Accredited journalists play a special role in the electoral processes. They are among the privileged who are allowed to stay in the polling stations and tallying centres whereas voters have to leave the polling station after casting their ballot. As a journalist, you should be impartial. You cannot openly subscribe to any political party. You … Continue reading “How to monitor the Elections Process – A Step-by-Step Guide”

KPMG Audit has found serious Security Problems

The voter register audit has indicated serious problems in database controls and infrastructure security. But looking at what was publishedby the Kenya electoral body, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the respective chapter and the whole annex of the report has been left out. The executive summary, however, lists serious issues that at least in … Continue reading “KPMG Audit has found serious Security Problems”

Get your IEBC media accreditation ASAP!

Without an IEBC media accreditation, no journalist will be allowed to enter the polling stations and tallying centers during 2017 General Elections in Kenya on August 8 and thereafter. Earlier the IEBC had stated that media can apply for accredition for election reporting from June 2, 2017. But so far no accreditation has been issued. … Continue reading “Get your IEBC media accreditation ASAP!”

Exclusively online here: Elections Regulations – 2017 version

Detailed procedures that must be followed in the election process are laid down in the Elections Regulations, as required by the Elections Act. Our editorial team at RoGGKenya has been anxiously waiting for the publication of the amended general regulations which has now been published – only four weeks to the General Elections. We will … Continue reading “Exclusively online here: Elections Regulations – 2017 version”

Elections Regulations 2017

Detailed procedures that must be followed in the election process are laid down in the Elections Regulations, as required by the elections act. We at RoGGKenya had been anxiously waiting for the publication of the amended general regulations, but only the amendments were published in the Kenya Gazette, not a consolidated document that can be … Continue reading “Elections Regulations 2017”

Demand the full KPMG report on Voter Register

On June 9 Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)  published an eleven paged press release on the outcome of the KPMG audit of the voters register. At first glance, the release seemed quite comprehensive as it included figures, charts and words on many aspects of the audit. But this picture is misleading. Important aspects are … Continue reading “Demand the full KPMG report on Voter Register”

Elections Technology

On our elections reporting pages, we are publishing on RoGGKenya.org what has disappeared on the IEBC website last week: A more detailed information on the election technologies that the Kenyan IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) will be using in the August 2017 general elections. The information given on this page reflects the state of … Continue reading “Elections Technology”

Big Surprises in Jubilee Nomination Rules

Did you know that every Kenyan is entitled to vote in the Jubilee Primaries and not just party members? Did you see the party register open for corrections, which should be open in the two weeks before the exercise? The Jubilee Party Nomination Rules, which we finally received yesterday, contain major surprises for all those … Continue reading “Big Surprises in Jubilee Nomination Rules”

IEBC Gazettement of Aspirants has huge Gaps

The list of aspirants for Kenyan political parties primaries as gazetted by the IEBC was grossly incomplete. IEBC has confirmed today what RoGGKenya editors had found out on Friday, April 21: Missing in the 305 pages file were the Jubilee aspirants of 390 wards* in the 17 counties that follow Nairobi in the alphabet. All … Continue reading “IEBC Gazettement of Aspirants has huge Gaps”

IEBC ends Voter Registration before consitutional Timeliness

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has controversially suspended the enlisting of new voters until September 6, a month after the general election. It is to be doubted if this was legal – and if it will be challenged by anybody in court. In a Kenya Gazette notice dated February 23, the chair Mr Wafula … Continue reading “IEBC ends Voter Registration before consitutional Timeliness”

Can the EACC “clear” candidates? Probably not.

One thing that we at RoGGKenya do as a service to our fellow journalists is that we try to locate the rule of law for what Kenyan authorities are doing – or should do. And now it is the action of the EACC, the main agency that fights corruption in Kenya, that is in question. … Continue reading “Can the EACC “clear” candidates? Probably not.”

Illegal threats during Elections – including Witchcraft

An earlier post on RoGGKenya.org has to be taken even more seriously than we have thought. We stated in the post that witchcraft is illegal in Kenya, and we thought this was just a minor issue. We could barely imagine that a politician would actually threaten citizens with witchcraft if they don’t cast their votes … Continue reading “Illegal threats during Elections – including Witchcraft”

Voter Registration

Even though every adult Kenyan has the right to vote (Article 38(3) of the Constitution ) they have to register to vote. This is similar to countries like the United States (ext. link) whereas in many other countries you are automatically registered to vote by being registered as an adult citizen and resident. About the … Continue reading “Voter Registration”

Voter Registration cannot end before May

No state agency, no independent commission can change the law. The IEBC is no exemption. Their mass voter registration drive may end today, Feb. 14, 2017. Which is legitimate. But voter registration itself cannot end on that day. Every adult Kenyan citizen has the right to register to vote until 90 days before the election … Continue reading “Voter Registration cannot end before May”

Election Reporting

In 2017, the whole of Kenya seems to have one top subject to talk about: The General Elections. For journalists, key to election reporting is to know about the procedures and the role of the elected positions as well as the role of the IEBC. Impartial, unbiased and “cold hearted” reporting that scrutinizes information from … Continue reading “Election Reporting”

IEBC Information Policy – better, but not perfect

We have seen an upsurge in information policy after the new commissioners of the Kenyan IEBC took office. Since January 2017, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has published 11 press releases and a number of other news – along with data that was  useful and worth analyzing. To see what this data is good … Continue reading “IEBC Information Policy – better, but not perfect”

New on RoGGKenya: The Role of the National Assembly

From how the media report on Members of Parliament it seems that there is a lot of misunderstanding about their role. What takes prominence is the constant and never ending wars between the National Assembly and the Senate. Other sensational stories include those of MPs in the National Assembly being portrayed as greedy and self-centred … Continue reading “New on RoGGKenya: The Role of the National Assembly”

Budgets for Next Year may be illegal in Kenya

Budget making in the Kenyan nation and counties is far behind schedule, raising fears that these most important documents for the financial year 2017/2018 may finally be illegal. Parliament and County Assemblies have been already waiting as long as 13 weeks for pivotal papers needed for a responsible decision making process. This makes it more … Continue reading “Budgets for Next Year may be illegal in Kenya”

New on RoGGKenya: Functions of the Kenyan Senate

We have all heard these continuous sentiments that the Senate should be scrapped. That it is “Nyumba Ya Wazee” (house for old people) and its roles can be performed by the National Assembly. But is the Senate irrelevant? This new article on RoGGKenya tries to dispel all these myths. It shows why the Senate has … Continue reading “New on RoGGKenya: Functions of the Kenyan Senate”

Election Offences Act

The Election Offences Act, 2016 is in effect from Oct. 4, 2016. It provides, among others, for penalties (the highest being) ten million Shillings and/or up to to six years imprisonment, depending on the offence. “A candidate or any other person who uses a public officer or the national security organs to induce or compel … Continue reading “Election Offences Act”

Political Parties Act

Some say that during the 2013 elections, all political parties violated the law. So it is worth looking at the orginal source, the Political Parties Act, to know firsthand what should happen – and what shouldn’t.

Elections Act

The Elections Act determines how the democratic institutions in Kenya are selected. IEBC plays a key role in the procedures. The Elections Act is an addition governed by the IEBC Act. 

IEBC – Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is established in Art. 88 of the Constitution which also lists the commission’s tasks: (a) the continuous registration of citizens as voters (b) the regular revision of the voters’ roll (c) the delimitation of constituencies and wards (d) the regulation of the process by which parties nominate candidates for … Continue reading “IEBC – Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission”

County Treasury

The County Treasury is headed by the County Executive Committee Member of Finance (CEC Finance). It’s an entity comprising the CEC Finance, the Chief Officer of the county and the departments in the county responsible for finance and fiscal matters – with the CEC Finance as their head. Public Finance Management Act, PFMA Sec. 103 … Continue reading “County Treasury”

How is CDF used?

The Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) was created by the Constituencies Development Fund Act of 2003 with the primary objective of addressing poverty at grassroots level. This is done by dedicating a minimum of 2.5 per cent of the government’s revenue to grassroots development and the reduction of poverty. In January 2013, the CDF Act 2003 (as … Continue reading “How is CDF used?”