{
  "id": 7597678,
  "title": "Maraga-led coalition calls for scrapping of Bomas tallying centre",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/maraga-led-coalition-calls-for-scrapping-of-bomas-tallying-centre",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-15T17:36:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/inside-politics/maraga-led-coalition-calls-for-scrapping-of-bomas-tallying-centre"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The coalition advocating for electoral reforms, spearheaded by former Chief Justice David Maraga, has proposed the discontinuation of the national presidential tallying center at Bomas of Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election. The coalition asserts that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) lacks constitutional authority to reevaluate, reconfirm or modify presidential results that have already been announced at polling locations and constituencies. Maraga emphasized that there should be no tallying facility in Bomas or elsewhere, and the IEBC's officials should refrain from rechecking, revalidating, or altering results declared at constituencies and polling stations. The coalition also expressed concerns regarding the history of the national tallying center, which has been linked to numerous instances of electoral fraud. Caroli Omondi pointed out that this center has been the hotspot for distressing electoral fraud activities in the past. The Maraga-led coalition also seeks an independent audit of the voter register and biometric data prior to the upcoming election. They criticized the IEBC for not conducting sufficient verification of the register, raising doubts about its dependability. This proposed audit aims to involve multiple stakeholders, publish its findings, and submit them to Parliament. Additionally, the coalition demands heightened scrutiny of the technology, specifically the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) devices used for voter identification during the election. Caleb Amisi warned against directly linking the voter register to the national identity database, suggesting that any failure or compromise in one system would result in the same for the other. The coalition's stance emerged amidst ongoing discussions about the reliability of Kenya's electoral systems and the necessary measures to prevent disputes during the 2027 election. They also criticized the IEBC's response to allegations of electoral fraud raised by politicians, accusing the commission of failing to adequately address such claims, which could further erode public confidence in the electoral body. Lastly, the coalition called for increased transparency in the production of ballot papers, including allowing representatives of political parties participating in the election to inspect the process, and urged IEBC officials to maintain integrity and protect the electoral process from manipulation.",
  "summary": "A coalition pushing for reforms to Kenya’s electoral laws, led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, has called for the scrapping of the national presidential tallying centre ahead of the 2027 General Election. The coalition argues that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has no constitutional mandate to retally, reverify or alter presidential results […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Capital FM Kenya",
        "title": "Maraga-led coalition wants Bomas scrapped as national tallying centre",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/maraga-led-coalition-wants-bomas-scrapped-as-national-tallying-centre",
        "published": "2026-09-15T13:33:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Nation Africa",
        "title": "Maraga: We demand that there be no national tallying centre at Bomas",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/maraga-we-demand-that-there-be-no-national-tallying-centre-at-bomas",
        "published": "2026-09-15T16:14:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}