The High Court has upheld the national tallying and verification of presidential election results, dismissing a petition by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah that sought to dismantle the process at the national tallying centre.
In a decision delivered on Tuesday, September 22, the court upheld the legal framework allowing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to verify and tally presidential results at the national level before the final declaration. The ruling preserves the role of the national tallying centre at Bomas of Kenya as the point where constituency results are collated and verified.
Omtatah had challenged the additional verification process, arguing that presidential results should be treated as final after being tallied and declared at the constituency level. He argued that further verification at Bomas created an additional layer that was not contemplated by the Constitution and could expose the electoral process to interference and delays.
The senator had sought orders restricting the IEBC chairperson to simply collating constituency results and determining whether a candidate had met the constitutional threshold for victory.
The court, however, maintained that the national verification framework is lawful and forms part of the IEBC’s mandate.
The ruling comes amid growing pressure to overhaul Kenya’s presidential tallying system ahead of the 2027 General Election, with former Chief Justice David Maraga and the People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms separately calling for the Bomas centre to be scrapped.
The decision leaves the national tallying centre firmly embedded in the electoral framework as Kenya prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.