Parliament has been asked to reintroduce the Bill allowing political candidates to include their popular or commonly known names on ballot papers.
The petition, submitted by Wajir resident Mohamed Alasow, urges Parliament to reintroduce and pass the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Alasow said the move would reduce voter confusion ahead of the 2027 general election.
He argued that many Kenyans identify candidates by nicknames rather than their official names.
Speaker Amason Kingi committed the petition to the Senate’s Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee for consideration.
The committee has 60 calendar days to review the petition and table its report before the Senate.
The petitioner argues that the current ballot paper design disadvantages many voters, particularly those in rural and marginalised communities, who are more familiar with candidates' popular names than those appearing on official identification documents.
"Many Kenyan voters, particularly those in rural and marginalised communities, know candidates by their popular names rather than their official names," the petition says.
According to Alasow, the omission of commonly known names from ballot papers contributes to voter confusion, candidate misidentification and rejected ballots during elections.
He says allowing candidates to include their popular names alongside their official names would make it easier for voters to identify their preferred candidates and improve the credibility of elections.
"The inclusion of popular names will enhance voter identification of candidates, reduce voter confusion and electoral errors, promote inclusivity, especially among less literate voters, strengthen electoral transparency and integrity and increase public confidence in elections," the petition says.
The petitioner wants Parliament to reintroduce the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and ensure it is enacted.
He also wants relevant institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, to begin preparations for implementing the proposed changes if they become law.
"I humbly pray that Parliament re-introduces the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that the Bill be prioritised before the 2027 general elections and that relevant institutions prepare for its implementation," Alasow says in the petition.
He argues that the proposed reform is necessary to make Kenya's electoral process more inclusive and accessible to all voters.
The petition cites several constitutional provisions to support the proposal, including Article 1 on the sovereignty of the people, Article 10 on national values and principles of governance, Article 38 on political rights, and Article 81, which outlines the general principles governing Kenya's electoral system.
It also invokes Article 119, which grants every person the right to petition Parliament to consider matters within its authority, including the enactment, amendment or repeal of legislation.
