The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will have powers to use designated vehicles as polling stations.

This is according to the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to amend among other issues the nature of a polling station. 

The Bill was presented to the Senate by Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Minority Leader Stewarts Madzayo.

With the new Bill, the powers to designate a vehicle as a polling station will be vested in the IEBC Commission.

“The Commission shall appoint a place or places or designate a vehicle or vehicles or a vessel or vessels as a polling station or polling stations for each electoral area,” the Bill reads in part.

According to the Bill, a vessel includes any ship, boat or any other description of vessel used in navigation.

The vehicles, boats and ships once identified as polling stations will be set apart and equipped for the casting of votes by voters at an election.

Once the vehicles have been equipped, the IEBC will then publish in the Kenyan Gazette and publicise their locations through electronic and print media of national circulation and other easily accessible mediums.

The Gazette Notice will specify the polling stations established for each electoral area and must be done at least three months before the date of any election. 

“No election shall be conducted in a place other than a place gazetted as a polling station under subsection,” the Bill states.

The Bill has not specified if the vehicle or boat will be allowed to move from one place to another within the three months heading to the election.

Politicians led by Jubilee Party Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni have accused President William Ruto’s administration of intending to use the clause to rig the 2027 general election.