Election laws bill await Uhuru assent after approval by Senate

Senate in session. Senators passed the election laws bill without amendments and returned it to the National Assembly on October 12, 2017. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The Election Laws (Amendments) Bill 2017 is to be sent to the president for assent after the two Houses passed it.

The National Assembly passed the bill on Wednesday and send it to the Senate.

The Senate passed the bill without amendments and returned it to the National Assembly Thursday evening, paving way for presidential assent.

Temporary Speaker Chris Omulele delivered the news of the return of the bill to the National Assembly as members were debating an adjournment motion.

He promised Speaker Justin Muturi will forward it to President Uhuru Kenyatta for assent.

President Kenyatta had earlier this week said he will sign the bill once it is passed by Parliament.

ADJOURN

The two Houses have adjourned and will resume business on November 7.

The National Assembly passed the bill on Wednesday with seven amendments arising from submission following the public hearings conducted by the parliamentary select committees of both Houses.

Should the president assent to the bill, the vice chair of the commission will now take over in acting capacity in the event there is a vacancy in the office of the chairman or when the chairman is absent.

Further, IEBC will be forced to transmit results of the elections electronically and manually deliver them to the constituency and national tallying centers.

Another amendments states that a court shall not declare an election void for non-compliance with the law if it appears that the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Constitution and that the non-compliance did not substantially affect the result of the election.

The financial penalties on election officials who fail to do their job will also be doubled from Sh1 million to Sh2 million in addition to a five-year jail term.