Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has called for police officers and other security personnel to be allowed to vote during general elections, arguing that no Kenyan should be disenfranchised because of their occupation.
Cherargei said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should establish mechanisms to ensure officers deployed to provide security on polling day can still exercise their constitutional right to vote.
“Everybody has a political right to register as a voter and to vote. The IEBC must put in place the necessary mechanisms, including for people who work in the security services. Police officers provide essential services, but it is the duty of the IEBC to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised,” he said.
The senator, who was speaking in the Senate, maintained that all police officers and other security personnel should be free to cast ballots for candidates of their choice despite their election-day responsibilities.
“All police officers and all people who work in essential security services must and should be allowed to vote for the candidate of their choice,” he said.
Cherargei noted that every vote counts in Kenya's presidential election, where a candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the votes cast and at least 25 per cent of the votes in more than half of the counties to be declared the winner.
“With the 50-plus-one threshold, every single vote matters,” he said.
The senator also opposed a proposal contained in the Elections (Amendment) Bill seeking to remove provisions allowing the live streaming or electronic transmission of election results from polling stations.
He argued that restricting live transmission of results would undermine transparency and the political rights guaranteed under Article 38 of the Constitution.
“I have read the Bill and the proposed amendment. We should allow the live streaming of election results from the polling station because the law is very clear that the results declared at the polling station are final,” Cherargei said.
He noted that Parliament had previously debated and retained provisions supporting electronic transmission and live publication of results under Section 39 of the Elections Act.
Cherargei urged both Majority and Minority leaders in Parliament to reject any attempt to amend the law in a manner that would reduce transparency in the electoral process.
“When that Bill comes, I want to advise the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader to abandon that route so that we do not undermine the political and electoral freedoms that we have enjoyed in this country,” he said.
The senator said transparent election management and protection of voting rights were essential to maintaining public confidence in the country's electoral process ahead of the 2027 General Election.
