Observer access supported transparency

ELOG observers had access to polling stations, supporting transparency and independent oversight of the process.

ELOG observers played a key role in promoting transparency by observing polling station processes and reporting irregularities. However, one observer at Machakos Law Courts was initially denied access because their name was missing from the accreditation list shared with Presiding Officers, despite having an official badge. The matter was later resolved through consultation.

Accessibility gaps for Persons with Disabilities

Some polling stations still had accessibility challenges that could limit participation by Persons with Disabilities.

Although polling stations were generally arranged to accommodate voters and support orderly voting, ELOG noted that some stations faced accessibility challenges for Persons with Disabilities. This points to the need for stronger advance planning, venue assessment and inclusive polling station layout.

Female participation in Presiding Officer roles

Women accounted for 45% of observed Presiding Officers.

The report found that 45% of Presiding Officers across observed polling stations were women. This reflected meaningful female participation in election administration leadership, though there remains room to move closer to full gender parity.

Security presence supported a peaceful environment

Security personnel were present in 85% of observed polling stations.

Security personnel were observed in 85% of polling stations. Their presence helped maintain order, deter disruptions and provide a conducive environment for voters to participate without intimidation.

Partial delay in opening of polling stations

Only 50% of sampled stations opened by 8:00 AM, although all 20 polling stations had opened by 9:00 AM.

The official opening time was 8:00 AM, but only half of the sampled stations were operational by that time. By 9:00 AM, all 20 observed polling stations had commenced voting. This suggests overall adherence to the electoral schedule, but with delays that should be addressed in future operational planning.

Strong ballot box security at opening

Ballot boxes were checked and confirmed empty in all observed polling stations before sealing.

ELOG observed that ballot boxes were systematically checked and confirmed empty in 100% of polling stations before the start of voting. This was an important integrity safeguard and demonstrated compliance with core ballot security procedures.

Ballot secrecy risks due to booth placement and crowding

Voting booths were provided in all observed stations, but crowding and booth placement created privacy risks.

The report found that voting booths were provided in 100% of observed stations, supporting secrecy of the vote. However, some voters were uncomfortably close to each other, and in some stations booths were placed too close to candidate agents or election officials. These layout concerns created potential risks to ballot privacy.

Color-coded ballot boxes improved ballot management

Eight color-coded ballot boxes were used in every observed polling station for the contested positions.

The presence of eight color-coded ballot boxes in each observed station helped separate ballots by position and improve voting efficiency. However, the report noted that some color differences were too subtle and could create confusion during ballot casting.

Voter turnout improved after a slow start

Turnout started low at 12.53% by 11:30 AM but rose to 40.3% by 4:00 PM.

The report recorded a slow start to voter participation, with turnout at 12.53% by 11:30 AM. Participation improved significantly as the day progressed, reaching 40.3% by 4:00 PM. By 5:00 PM, queues were observed in 75% of polling stations, and voters in queue were eventually allowed to cast their ballots.

Voter identification and wrong-station challenges

In 25% of observed polling stations, some voters were turned away due to missing required identification or being at the wrong station.

ELOG observed cases where voters were turned away because they lacked the required identification documents, such as a National ID or valid Passport, or attempted to vote at stations where they were not registered. This highlights the need for stronger voter education and pre-election verification of polling station assignment.

Assisted voting observed in some polling stations

Assisted voting was observed in 20% of polling stations.

Assisted voting was reported in 20% of observed polling stations, indicating that some voters required support due to disability, language barriers or other factors. In half of those stations, assisted voters were allowed to choose a person to assist them. Future elections should maintain assistance while strengthening safeguards for ballot secrecy and voter independence.

Minor counting and tabulation challenges

Minor counting issues were observed in 25% of polling stations.

The report noted minor counting challenges in 25% of observed polling stations. These included time-consuming counting of multiple-ticked ballot papers, tabulation errors by Presiding Officers, repeated counting and stray ballot papers found in incorrect ballot boxes. These issues point to the need for clearer counting guidance and stronger tallying controls.

Result declaration form discrepancies

ELOG noted discrepancies and omissions in result declaration forms from several polling stations.

During result declaration, ELOG noted that all candidate agents present signed the result declaration forms, which supported transparency. However, some forms had omissions and inconsistencies, including missing valid vote totals, unclear turnout information and discrepancies between valid votes cast and candidate totals. This raised concerns about uniformity, accuracy and clarity in results documentation.

Candidate agent presence varied across contests

Candidate agents were present across positions, but representation varied significantly.

Candidate agents were visible during opening, especially for positions such as President, Vice President, General Member Representative and Judicial Service Commission representative. However, the Coast Representative position recorded the lowest candidate-agent presence at 15%, indicating uneven levels of representation across contests.

Observer initially denied access

Location: Machakos Law Courts

An ELOG observer was initially denied access to the polling station because their name did not appear on the accreditation list shared with Presiding Officers, despite having an official observer badge.

Resolution: The matter was resolved through consultation and the observer was later allowed access to observe the process.

Voters turned away for lack of proper identification

Location: Multiple observed polling stations

Some voters were turned away after presenting without the required identification documents. The accepted documents were National ID or valid Passport.

Resolution: Polling officials enforced the identification requirements and did not issue ballot papers to voters who lacked the required documents.

Voter presented at the wrong polling station

Location: Machakos / Nairobi registration-related issue

A voter presented at a polling station where they were not registered to vote, creating a wrong-station voting issue.

Resolution: The voter was informed of the discrepancy and was not permitted to vote at the wrong polling station.

Voter register confiscation after identification dispute

Location: Observed polling station

A voter who had been denied voting due to lack of the required identification reportedly confiscated or interfered with a voter register.

Resolution: The matter was handled at the polling station level and did not stop the overall voting process.

Result declaration form omission

Location: Machakos Law Courts

A result declaration form had missing or incomplete information, affecting the clarity and completeness of the results documentation.

Resolution: The issue was noted by observers as a documentation gap requiring clearer guidance and stronger quality control in future elections.

Turnout and form ambiguity

Location: Milimani Law Courts, Branch 006

Observers noted ambiguity in turnout information and result-form entries, raising concerns about consistency and clarity in result documentation.

Resolution: The issue was recorded as a procedural documentation concern requiring standardized result forms and clearer tallying instructions.

Valid votes discrepancy

Location: Eldoret Law Courts, North Rift Branch

A discrepancy was noted between valid votes cast and candidate totals during result documentation.

Resolution: The discrepancy was recorded as a tallying and reconciliation issue requiring stronger arithmetic checks and dual verification.

Missing critical information on result forms

Location: Kakamega Law Courts

Some critical result information was missing from result declaration forms, affecting completeness of the documentation.

Resolution: The issue was noted as a form-completion weakness requiring clearer result declaration guidelines and quality assurance before submission.

Commotion after official closing time

Location: Milimani Law Courts

A commotion was reported after 5:00 PM around the closing period, linked to queues and management of voters present at the polling station.

Resolution: The matter was resolved and did not fundamentally disrupt the completion of voting and closing procedures.

Uniform training programme for polling station staff

LSK should institute a uniform and standardized training programme for all polling station staff, including Presiding Officers, Deputy Presiding Officers, clerks and tallying officials. The training should cover opening procedures, voter identification, assisted voting, ballot secrecy, counting, tallying, result declaration forms and incident management.

Target: LSK Elections Board

Clear guidelines for result declaration forms

The Elections Board should develop clear written guidance on how result declaration forms should be completed, checked, signed and submitted. This should include mandatory fields, valid vote totals, turnout figures, rejected ballots, candidate totals and signatures of agents present.

Target: LSK Elections Board

Strengthened voter education on identification requirements

LSK should strengthen voter education before Election Day to ensure members clearly understand the required identification documents, especially the need to present a National ID or valid Passport. Communication should be done through email, SMS, branch platforms, website notices and official election circulars.

Target: LSK Secretariat / Elections Board

Enhanced voter registration verification

LSK should improve pre-election voter register verification so that members can confirm their polling station, branch allocation and eligibility before Election Day. This would reduce wrong-station cases, delays and disputes at polling stations.

Target: LSK Secretariat / Elections Board

Consistent tallying procedures

The Elections Board should standardize tallying procedures across all polling stations and branches. This should include uniform reconciliation formulas, arithmetic checks, dual verification of totals, clear treatment of rejected or stray ballots and proper documentation of discrepancies.

Target: LSK Elections Board

Strict adherence to voting timelines

Polling officials should strictly adhere to official opening and closing timelines. Where delays occur, they should be documented, explained and reported. Clear guidance should also be issued on the management of voters who are in the queue at the official closing time.

Target: LSK Elections Board / Polling Officials

Improved accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

LSK should conduct advance accessibility assessments of polling venues to ensure that Persons with Disabilities can access polling stations safely and independently. Polling station layout should provide adequate space, clear movement paths and appropriate support where required.

Target: LSK Secretariat / Elections Board

Better polling station layout for ballot secrecy

Polling station layouts should be reviewed before voting begins to ensure that voting booths are positioned in a way that protects ballot secrecy. Booths should not be too close to candidate agents, officials, queues or other voters.

Target: Presiding Officers / LSK Elections Board

Clearer ballot box colour differentiation

Future elections should ensure that colour-coded ballot boxes are clearly distinguishable to reduce voter confusion and prevent ballots from being placed in the wrong box. Where similar colours are used, labels should be large, visible and consistently applied.

Target: LSK Elections Board

Strengthened management of assisted voting

The Elections Board should issue clearer guidance on assisted voting to ensure that voters who require support are assisted respectfully while maintaining secrecy of the ballot and protecting voter independence. Officials should consistently document assisted voting cases.

Target: LSK Elections Board / Polling Officials

Improved accreditation list management

Accreditation lists for observers, agents and other authorized persons should be finalized early and shared with Presiding Officers before polling day. A rapid verification mechanism should be available to resolve accreditation disputes quickly.

Target: LSK Elections Board

Post-election review and institutional learning

LSK should institutionalize a structured post-election review involving the Elections Board, Secretariat, branch representatives, polling officials, candidates, agents and accredited observers. This review should document lessons learned and inform future election planning.

Target: LSK / Elections Board