Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has challenged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to consider relocating Kenya’s National Tallying Centre to Mandera or Wajir ahead of the August 10, 2027, General Election.
Kaluma argues that Bomas of Kenya, which has hosted national presidential tallying in previous elections, is not constitutionally designated as the permanent venue for the exercise.
In a statement shared on X on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the legislator maintained that no law specifically requires the national tallying facility to be based in Nairobi or at Bomas of Kenya.
“No law says the National Tallying Centre must be in Nairobi or at the Bomas of Kenya,” Kaluma stated.
“Let the National Tallying Centre for the 2027 elections be established in Mandera or Wajir.”
His proposal comes amid growing political and legal debate over the location, legality and role of the national tallying facility as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
Legal battle over national tallying centre
The national tallying arrangement has become a point of contention among political leaders and electoral reform advocates, with disagreements over the IEBC’s authority to tally and verify presidential results at the national level.
In September 2026, a group of opposition leaders, including Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, challenged the legality of the arrangement in court.
The petitioners questioned whether the Constitution authorises the IEBC to conduct national-level tallying and verification of presidential results after votes have been counted and results announced at polling stations and constituency tallying centres.
However, the High Court dismissed the challenge in a ruling delivered by Justice Gregory Mutai, upholding the legality of the national tallying process.
The court relied on provisions of the Elections Act and the Elections (General) Regulations, which provide for the aggregation and verification of presidential election results at the national level.
Justice Mutai noted that national tallying is necessary to establish whether a presidential candidate has met the constitutional threshold of securing more than half of all votes cast nationally and at least 25 per cent of the votes in more than half of Kenya’s counties.
Despite the ruling, disagreements persist over how presidential results should be processed and the extent of the IEBC’s role after results are declared at lower levels.
Does the law require Bomas of Kenya?
Although Bomas of Kenya has served as the national tallying venue in previous elections, the Constitution does not expressly designate it as the permanent location for the exercise.
Article 138 of the Constitution outlines the IEBC’s responsibilities in tallying, verifying and declaring presidential election results, while Section 39 of the Elections Act provides for the transmission and tallying of election results at constituency and national levels.
However, Regulation 84 of the Elections (General) Regulations, 2012, contains provisions governing the location and designation of tallying centres, including requirements relating to the national presidential tallying venue.
The regulations provide for the presidential tallying centre to be located in Nairobi, with the venue designated through a gazette notice by the IEBC.
Consequently, relocating the facility to Mandera or Wajir would raise questions about compliance with the existing regulations and the legal steps required to effect such a change.
Opposition leaders push for abolition
Kaluma’s proposal differs from the position advanced by the People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms, led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, which has called for the abolition of the National Tallying Centre altogether.
In September 2026, the coalition argued that presidential results announced at polling stations and constituency tallying centres should not be subjected to another tallying process at a central facility.
The group cited Articles 86 and 138 of the Constitution, maintaining that electoral transparency should be anchored in the counting, tallying and announcement of results at polling stations and constituency levels.
It also questioned the authority of the IEBC chairperson and commissioners to retally or re-verify results already declared at lower levels.
The coalition has maintained that eliminating the national tallying centre should be a priority in electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election, regardless of whether the facility is based at Bomas of Kenya or another location.
Government defends national tallying arrangement
The national tallying process has also received support from government officials who argue that the Constitution must be read alongside the Elections Act and relevant electoral regulations.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale defended the arrangement in September, citing legal provisions requiring the IEBC to tally and verify presidential results nationally.
The competing positions have kept the debate over presidential election administration alive, with Kaluma’s proposal introducing another dimension to discussions about where the national tallying exercise should take place.
As the country approaches the 2027 General Election, the IEBC faces continued scrutiny over its electoral procedures, with questions surrounding the location and operation of the national tallying centre likely to remain central to the wider reform debate.
